San Diego Beach Yoga: Protected Speech Ruling
- Yoga classes are back on San Diego beaches after a federal appeals court steadfast that a city ordinance restricting them was unconstitutional.The court found that teaching yoga constitutes...
- 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with instructors Steven Hubbard and Amy Baack, who sued after San Diego banned yoga classes of four or more people at shoreline...
- The court stated that the ordinance "plainly implicates [the instructors'] First Amendment right to speak" because it targets the teaching of yoga.This decision allows instructors to continue offering...
A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of beach yoga instructors in San Diego, declaring the city’s ban on classes unconstitutional. The court determined that teaching yoga is “protected speech” under the First Amendment, a crucial win for instructors like Steven Hubbard and amy Baack. The ruling allows the popular practice to resume,overturning a 2024 ordinance that restricted yoga classes on San Diego beaches. The city argued the ban was about commercial activity, but the judges sided with the instructors. This case highlights the ongoing tension between free speech and city regulations regarding public space management. News Directory 3 follows this news very carefully. Discover how this decision impacts other commercial activities on San Diego beaches.
San Diego Beach Yoga Classes Resume After Court Ruling
Updated June 6, 2025
Yoga classes are back on San Diego beaches after a federal appeals court steadfast that a city ordinance restricting them was unconstitutional.The court found that teaching yoga constitutes “protected speech.”
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with instructors Steven Hubbard and Amy Baack, who sued after San Diego banned yoga classes of four or more people at shoreline parks and beaches in 2024. The three-judge panel overruled a lower court decision.
The court stated that the ordinance “plainly implicates [the instructors’] First Amendment right to speak” because it targets the teaching of yoga.This decision allows instructors to continue offering beach yoga, a popular activity in the community.
San Diego attorneys argued the rule targeted commercial activity, not yoga.They noted that Hubbard and Baack’s classes,though free,often draw up to 100 people who donate between $5 and $40 per class. The city also emphasized that San Diego and the county hosted 32 million visitors in 2023, requiring careful management of public spaces.
Hubbard resumed teaching yoga at Pacific Beach on Thursday. He said he had been cited at least 10 times since the ordinance took effect. He even faced citations for livestreaming classes from his backyard across from the beach, according to Bryan Pease, the instructors’ lawyer.
Pease argued that outdoor yoga provides a service to those with disabilities or those who cannot afford studio classes. He added that it is a popular way for people to access yoga in the beach community.
“It is a popular thing here. We’re a beach community, and it’s a way for people to access yoga that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to,” Pease said.
John Noack,a four-year attendee of Hubbard’s classes,believes the group was targeted because wealthy homeowners wanted to protect their ocean views.He sees the court’s decision as a victory for the community.
“I personally see this as a triumph of community over a handful of elites,” Noack said.
What’s next
San Diego officials are reviewing the court’s decision and considering their next steps regarding regulations for commercial activities on beaches and in parks. The city must balance the First Amendment rights of instructors with the need to manage public spaces effectively.