Jimmy Kimmel's suspension ignites First Amendment debate, constitutional law professor reacts

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show on ABC has sparked controversy and debate over freedom of speech and how the First Amendment should be interpreted.

“The First Amendment speaks to the government," said Cooly Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Jeff Swartz. "The government can't do anything to interfere with someone's First Amendment rights, and that's the problem that we run into here. That's why there's something wrong with it.”

Swartz said he’s troubled by the apparent move by Federal Communications Commission chairman Brenden Carr to influence the decision of ABC to suspend its late-night comedy show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

“He has decided, 'No, we are going to do what we need to do and censor if we consider it a violation of t