Opinion ID: 6316805
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Statement is Government Speech

Text: VDARE first argues that “the District Court never articulated the three-factor test set forth by the Supreme Court; it simply asserted, as a bald conclusion, that the Mayor’s threat was protected by the government speech doctrine.” Appellant’s Opening Br. at 26. We disagree. To determine whether certain communication is government speech, we assess the following: (1) whether the forum has historically been used for government speech; (2) whether the public would interpret the speech as being conveyed by the government; and (3) whether the government has maintained control over the speech. Walker v. Texas Div., Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., 576 U.S. 200, 209–10 (2015) (citation omitted). Though the district court didn’t articulate the three Walker factors, neither party disputes that the City’s Statement satisfied them: (1) it was delivered as government speech; (2) it was perceived as being conveyed by the 30 Appellate Case: 20-1162 Document: 010110565027 Date Filed: 08/23/2021 Page: 31 government; and (3) it was controlled by the government. See id.