Tuesday, March 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Jeff van Ee, a federal employee based in Las Vegas, has been barred by a federal judge from representing the Nevada Wildlife Federation at a trail hearing.
U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson decided last month that van Ee, an electrical engineer for the federal Environmental Protection Agency here, could not represent the environmental organization at a hearing sponsored by the Interior Department.
Van Ee had requested a preliminary injunction to attend the meetings hosted by the National Park Service on the need for more trails in the Las Vegas Valley.
The judge ruled that he would not "suffer irreparable harm" if he did not attend the hearing and that the government, as his employer, has a right to restrict or regulate his speech.
Van Ee described his position as "a second-class citizen." The decision could chill other federal employees from speaking at hearings affecting state and local issues, the longtime environmental activist said.
"We are appealing the judge's decision to the Appeals Court, and I am hopeful that they will rule that my First Amendment rights are being violated," he said.
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