Scoville, George S. , III2019-06-202019-06-202019-06-1997 OR. L. REV. 4770196-2043https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2470078 pagesRacial tensions are rising in the United States, with no signs of abating anytime soon. The tragic number of African American deaths resulting from euphemistically titled “officer-involved shootings” has dramatically increased in the last decade, which has spurred heated, sometimes violent, protests. In addition, police departments nationwide are grappling with increased threats to officers’ safety. Social media platforms add fuel to the fire because they enable nearly instantaneous, bidirectional transmission of both accurate and inaccurate information around the globe. Accordingly, many municipalities have implemented restrictive social media policies for both the public and government employees. Firing a government employee for violating such a social media policy in his or her use of digital communications tools, however, especially when the employee does so on his or her own time, raises stark questions regarding whether and to what extent the policy violates the First Amendment.enAll Rights Reserved.Race relationsSocial mediaPoliceProfessional conductFree speechConstitutional lawArticle