Penna Dexter

Lamenting the rise of censorship and speech controls, prominent First Amendment attorney and law school professor Jonathan Turley writes: “That alarming trend is no more evident than lawyers saying they “cannot breathe” in the presence of the exercise of free speech." He points to the story of Robin Keller, an attorney with a distinguished career spanning 44 years, a partner at the global law firm, Hogan Lovells.

Ms. Keller’s opinion piece, titled, “No Dissent on Abortion Allowed at Hogan Lovells” appeared in The Wall Street Journal. In it she described a call convened and “billed as a ‘safe space’” for females at the firm for the purpose of discussing the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

She wrote: “Everyone else who spoke on the call was unanimous in her anger and outrage about Dobbs. I spoke up to offer a different view. I noted that many jurists and commentators believed Roe had been wrongly decided. I said that the court was right to remand the issue to the states.”

Ms. Keller also expressed concern regarding high rates of abortion in the black community.

Another attorney jumped in and demanded Ms. Keller leave the meeting, calling her a racist. Others said they had “lost their ability to breathe” upon hearing her comments. A formal complaint was lodged against her. Her access to clients, email and documents was cut off. She was eventually dismissed.

Ms. Keller wrote:

“What was shocking, at least to me, was how eagerly Hogan Lovells kowtowed to a woke faction inside its workforce. Several women on the call—as well as male lawyers at the firm—contacted me later to offer private support for my right to express my views. Those former colleagues must now realize that they are in a hostile work environment.”

Increasingly, companies open dialogue about high-profile issues, and then punish employees who express the “wrong,” — i.e. not woke — opinion. Christians may be hoodwinked into making statements that could cost them their careers.