SANDRA S. NELSON, Appellant, v. McCLATCHY NEWPAPERS, INC., ET AL., Respondents., 131 Wn.2d 523

Summary

The reporter was a politically active lesbian who filed an action because she was transferred to a different position by the newspaper after being warned her political activities violated the newspaper's code of ethics. The reporter argued that the newspaper violated the act, state constitutional protections including free speech, public policy, and other laws. The newspaper claimed that the act violated its rights under both the U.S. Const. amend. I and Wash. Const. art. I, § 5. On appeal, the court held that the act did apply and that employers could not influence politics by forcing their employees to support their position or by forcing politically active employees to abstain. However, the court affirmed the trial court's ruling that the act unconstitutionally infringed on the newspaper's right to freedom of the press. In so holding, the court concluded that: (1) the newspaper's no-conflict-of-interest policy was expressly designed to uphold its credibility and merited protection ...