John Stockton, a Hall of Famer and former NBA player, has sued the state of Washington over its COVID-19 regulations, which have punished physicians who disagree with the official narrative.
Reports show the claimants in the case with Stockton include physicians subject to state fines. The defendants are Bob Ferguson, the state’s attorney general, and Kyle S. Karinen, the Washington Medical Commission executive director. Todd S. Richardson, Rick Jaffe, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are among the attorneys representing Stockton.
The case asserted that doctors’ right to speak and the public’s right to listen to their message must be protected. The objective is to prevent the Commission from conducting investigations, prosecutions, or sanctions against doctors who publicly disagree with the series of public health directives issued by the CDC and replicated by major news outlets.
RFK Jr.’s nonprofit organization, Children’s Health Defense, is purportedly included as a plaintiff.
Stockton asserted his support for all Washingtonians who believe in the First Amendment right to listen to licensed doctors in Washington who disagree with the dominant narrative around COVID.
According to Rick Jaffe, the exclusive focus is on the First Amendment. He said that the question is, is it within the medical board’s constitutional purview to probe, prosecute, and penalize physicians for engaging in free speech online, whether in the form of articles or public speeches?
A report revealed that because Stockton refused to wear a mask, it resulted in his being barred from attending the Gonzaga games in 2022. According to Stockton’s statement, in essence, the organization was requesting that he attend the games while wearing a mask. The organization requested that Stockton wear a mask or they were going to suspend his tickets.
The complaint sought a determination that the Washington state’s policy was in violation of the First Amendment.
