'It just has to be done': NBA legend John Stockton sues Washington state over COVID censorship with RFK Jr. as his lawyer



Former NBA player and Hall of Fame member John Stockton has taken Washington state officials to court over COVID-19 policies that threatened to penalize doctors who went against "the mainstream Covid narrative."

Stockton is joined in the lawsuit by doctors who faced sanctions from the state and names Washington Medical Commission Executive Director Kyle S. Karinen and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson as defendants. Stockton's lawyers include Rick Jaffe, Todd S. Richardson, and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"The purpose of this lawsuit is to protect the right of physicians to speak, and the right of the public to hear their message," the lawsuit stated, according to USA Today. "The goal is to stop the Commission from investigating, prosecuting or sanctioning physicians who speak out in public against the so-called 'mainstream Covid narrative' i.e., the succession of public health edicts put out by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and repeated by the primary news outlets, which has caused the public to lose trust in the public health authorities, which has caused the CDC to repeatedly apologize and promise to do better."

Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit started by RFK Jr., is also reportedly listed as a plaintiff.

Other plaintiffs included a retired ophthalmologist named Dr. Richard Eggleston who faced state sanctions after he wrote an article in the Lewiston Tribune questioning COVID policies and death tolls, which was reported by a reader, attorney Jaffe stated.

"The only thing we’re interested in is the First Amendment issue," Jaffe said. "Does the medical board have the constitutional authority to investigate, prosecute, and sanction doctors for writing articles, posting blogs on websites, and speaking out in public, even if the government or the medical board thinks what they’re saying is wrong or dangerous?"

"Most other states in the country don’t go as far as Washington. In my view, Washington is an outlier," he added, the Spokesman-Review reported.

Stockton, who played college basketball at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, said in the lawsuit that he was fighting for all Washingtonians who share his belief that "people have the First Amendment right to hear the public soapbox speech of Washington licensed physicians who disagree with the mainstream COVID narrative."

"I think it just has to be done," Stockton told News Nation. "It's just another intrusion in Washington state on our right to freedom of speech."

NBA legend John Stockton is part of a new lawsuit against Washington state officials who cracked down on COVID misinformation from doctors. Rick Jaffe, one of Stockton\u2019s attorneys on the case, said it\u2019s ultimately about free speech. | Morning in America\nSource: NewsNation\u2026
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The former point guard was suspended from attending games at Gonzaga in 2022 after he refused to wear a mask.

"Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games, and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit. ... They received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups ... they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets," Stockton said at the time, the Salt Lake Tribune noted.

Stockton endorsed RFK Jr. for president in late 2023, as well.

The lawsuit asked for a declaration that the state's policy violated the First Amendment.

Neither the Washington commission nor the attorney general's office responded to a request for comment.

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Fearless: NBA legend John Stockton assists Jan. 6 protester



In his 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz, John Stockton built a Hall of Fame career assisting teammate Karl Malone to deliver the mail. Two decades later, Stockton delivered a letter in support of a friend charged in connection with the breach at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“I simply wrote what I think is a pretty nice character reference for someone I know,” Stockton told "Fearless with Jason Whitlock" on Tuesday. “I expected that to be private. … I'm not embarrassed by it. I stand by the letter and certainly everything I said in it, but I was surprised it became public. I didn’t know it worked that way.”

Stockton wrote the letter on behalf of Janet Buhler, the wife of former Utah Jazz chiropractor Dr. Craig Buhler. Janet Buhler was one of more than 800 people charged in connection with the infamous Capitol riot.

Originally she was charged with five criminal counts, before agreeing to a plea deal in January 2022. She entered a guilty plea to one charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Stockton and 25 others have written letters on Buhler’s behalf prior to her June 1 sentencing on the misdemeanor conviction, which carries a potential six-month sentence. His letter gained the attention of pundits in both the political and sports worlds.

The controversy over the events of Jan. 6 continues, galvanizing those on both sides of the political aisle. Stockton surmised that Buhler is a supporter of former President Donald Trump, although he said he did not know for sure. He believes her motivation that day was more grounded in the foundational principles of the United States.

“I think she was there to support honest elections,” he told Whitlock. “This is supposed to be a free country. You can say what you want. You can peacefully protest. You have the right to your opinion, even if it’s one I don’t agree with. And, again, we are in real jeopardy of losing all those things, and it’s a little bit scary.

“You think of George Washington; they’ll probably drag him down through the mud at some point in time too. But that guy could have been king of America, turned it down because he believed that the process is supposed to be for the people, by the people, and not about a king. I think that type of leadership is the leadership we could use now.”

Gonzaga punishes basketball legend for not wearing face mask at games, revokes season tickets



Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton confirmed Saturday that Gonzaga, his alma mater, has revoked his season tickets for not wearing a face mask at Gonzaga basketball games.

Stockton is widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players ever. He was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players in 1996 and was once again celebrated last October after being named one of the 75 greatest NBA players in history.

Stockton was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympics men's basketball "Dream Team," has been enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame, played his entire 19-season career for the Utah Jazz, and, nearly 20 years after his retirement, still holds the records for career steals and assists.

What are the details?

Stockton told the Spokesman-Review that Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford recently informed him of the university's decision in a conversation that was "not pleasant."

"Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit," Stockton said.

"And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups — those weren't discussed, but from whatever it was higher up — they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets," he explained.

The Spokesman-Review explained that Stockton "has taken a strong stance against COVID-19 vaccines, shutdown measures and mask mandates." Stockton reiterated his views in his interview, but the newspaper went to great lengths to frame Stockton's concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines as "dubious and not backed by science."

Gonzaga requires either proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before attending athletic events on campus.

According to the Spokesman-Review, the university began cracking down on people who violate the mask policy after suspending concession sales inside the basketball area, a decision reportedly meant to promote mask-wearing.

Matt A. Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Stockton said that he considered complying with the mask policy to keep his tickets, but ultimately decided to maintain his convictions about masking policies.

"When the rule changes, then tickets will be reoffered," Stockton explained.

What did Gonzaga say?

After Stockton revealed the university had revoked his season tickets, the school released a statement that refused to address its decision regarding Stockton.

"Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the health and safety protocols mandated by the State and by University policy, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement. Attendees at basketball games are required to wear face masks at all times," the statement said.

"We will not speak to specific actions taken with any specific individuals," the statement added. "We take enforcement of COVID-19 health and safety protocols seriously and will continue to evaluate how we can best mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19 with appropriate measures. The recent decision to suspend concessions in McCarthey Athletic Center is an example of this approach."