Friday, June 13, 2025
What exactly does the First Amendment protect — and what doesn’t it cover?
That was the focus of a recent discussion led by attorney Christine Quigley at the Levittown Public Library, where community members gathered to help unpack one of the most debated parts of the U.S. Constitution.
Quigley, a member of the Nassau County Bar Association, was the featured speaker at a meeting hosted by the League of Women Voters of East Nassau, where she aimed to clarify common misconceptions about free speech, freedom of the press, and other First Amendment rights.
The league is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to protecting and expanding voting rights while empowering voters through education and advocacy. During the May 21 meeting of the East Nassau chapter — representing communities such as Wantagh, Seaford, Levittown, Bellmore, Merrick and East Meadow — Quigley focused her remarks on the scope and limitations of the First Amendment.
The First Amendment, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, protects several fundamental freedoms central to American democracy. It guarantees the rights to freedom of speech, religion, the press, peaceful assembly, and to petition the government.
These protections form the foundation of civic life in the United States, though their interpretation continues to evolve through legal challenges and court rulings.
According to Quigley, the First Amendment prohibits Congress and state governments from making laws that infringe on speech and other protected rights — but it does not apply to private companies. That means employers can generally set their own rules around speech in the workplace, unless a government entity is involved.
“In order to have a constitutional challenge to say ‘you're infringing on my rights,’ you first have to determine what’s the governmental actor here,” she said.
What happens when a public school tells its student body that it must participate in morning prayers? Quigley said that while prayer itself isn’t inherently wrong, the problem arises when a government institution sends a message — especially to young, impressionable minds — that a particular way of praying is the official or preferred one. That’s when it crosses a constitutional line, she noted, regardless of where it takes place.
“It's not about whether religion is inherently good or evil,” she said, “but it's about whether the government is the actor that should be allowed to take certain kinds of action and either threaten, coerce, even cajole its citizens into following somebody else's version of what religion is.”
Quigley also discussed Town of Greece v. Galloway, a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that opening local government meetings with prayer does not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or favoring one religion over another. The case centered on the Town of Greece, New York, where meetings often began with Christian prayers delivered by local clergy. The court upheld the practice, citing the historical tradition of legislative prayer and noting that attendees were not compelled to participate.
Quigley emphasized that many Americans overlook their constitutional right to petition the government, a key component of the First Amendment. She explained that this right allows individuals to formally express grievances and demand action, whether through writing letters, gathering signatures, or organizing community support. As an example, she described how residents frustrated with a long-neglected pothole could band together, create a written petition, and present it to their local officials.
“So now you're not one voice, you're 50 voices all the way on the street,” she said. “That's petitioning the government. It's something that Americans just don't seem to get it in their heads that we have the right to do.”
Quigley emphasized that the First Amendment is complex and not absolute. Its protections evolve with changing contexts and court rulings, especially as digital media challenge free speech limits. She urged the community to stay informed, think critically, and actively engage in civic life to better understand and protect their rights.
League member Carol Bergman said Quigley’s presentation was thought provoking and made her reflect on how the First Amendment has evolved over time.
“I think people are having conversations about what (the First Amendment) says,” Bergman said. “We have to learn to interpret things. It’s not hard written.”
League member Peggy Stein said the presentation was “eye-opening” and stressed the importance of exercising First Amendment rights.
“It really gives you things to think about,” Stein said. “I hope that we know that you certainly can petition your government. And you shouldn’t sit idly and say, ‘Well, let the other guy down the block take care of it.’ You can organize it.”
