CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal appeals court is weighing a southern Kentucky evangelical preacher's request to overturn the University of Tennessee's requirement that speakers on campus have sponsorship and get the approval of school administrators.
The three-judge panel from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals that heard the case this morning in Cincinnati didn’t indicate when they would rule on a request. Evangelist John McGlone of Breeding, Ky., has asked the court to toss out the restrictions imposed by the university. McGlone's lawyers argued the university's requirements are an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.
University officials argued the policies don't violate any of McGlone's rights.
A federal judge in Knoxville dismissed McGlone's challenge last February. U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips concluded that the university's campus access and sponsorship policies are in line with the Constitution.