Jon Kotler, a lawyer and constitutional scholar at University of Southern California, is a big fan of Fulham F.C. in the English Premier League. Fulham is known as "The Whites" and their slogan is "Come On You whites," or COYW. It was these four letters that Kotler wanted on a California vanity license plate. Pretty routine, right? How many people ion Southern California know what COYW means?
Doesn't matter. Some bureaucrat at the state's Department of Motor Vehicles rejected the application. Kotler was told the four letters said the COYW could be considered hostile, insulting, or racially degrading.
Kotler has filed suit in federal court claiming his First Amendment rights have been violated. The story is in the New York Post and on the BBC website. I am all in favor of maintaining good taste in license plates and the like, but I think the DMV is wrong on this one. Here's wishing the professor good luck in his suit.
Kotler flies to England - an 11 hour flight from the West Coast - eight to ten times a year to watch Fulham play. Next year he'll most likely have to watch them in the English Football League (f/k/a The Second Division) as The Whites are in 19th place of 20 teams with five matches remaining.
