Citing Free Speech, A.C.L.U. Sues Washington Metro Over Rejected Ads
The ads rejected by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which runs mass transit services in
and around the nation’s capital, included one for an abortion pill, another promoting a new book by the right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, and yet another urging consumers to reject animal cruelty.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the agency
that runs the Metro system in Washington, D. C., on Wednesday, claiming that its rejection of several advertisements — including one from the A. C.L.
Since 2015, the Metro agency has prohibited advertisements
that aim to “influence public policy,” or to “influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions,” according to its guidelines.
Ms. Rowland said it became clear how subjective that policy was when Mr. Yiannopoulos’s ads, which were accepted
by the Metro earlier this year, were taken down after about 10 days, following commuter complaints.