He applied for a plate that read “COYW”, an acronym for “Come on You Whites,” the chant used by fans of the West London-based Fulham Football Club. The California DMV denied his application on the grounds that the plate could have racial connotations
USC journalism professor Jonathan Kotler points to"clappers" handed out by the Fulham Football Club with the hashtag #COYW. Kotler is suing the California DMV for denying his application for a personalized license plate with the acronym.
Jonathan Kotler applied for a plate that read “COYW”, an abbreviation for “Come on You Whites,” the chant used by fans of the West London-basedBut a DMV official rejected the request, writing that the configuration “carries connotations offensive to good taste and decency,” according to a letter included as an exhibit in the suit.
“When government officials are given free rein to regulate free speech, they’ll come to conclusions that are biased, arbitrary and, in this case, flat-out wrong.”California law states the department must turn down plates that “may carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency” based on several criteria, including if the configuration carries a negative connotation to a specific group, a policy Kotler’s lawyers call too broad.
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