Bloedorn v. Grube

Summary

Benjamin Bloedorn, a Christian, and a a few friends attempted to share their faith in a “free speech” zone on the campus of Georgia Southern University. A university official informed Bloedorn and the others that it was necessary to fill out a permit application to have their free speech activity reviewed and approved. The forms require detailed personal information in addition to the proposed topic and time of the planned event. Because Bloedorn and his friends felt that the requirement to be invasive and a violation of their constitutional rights, they decided against signing it. Bloedorn was later handcuffed and taken to jail for nearly six hours after an official claimed that he and the rest of the group were trespassing on “private property.”