Nearly 70% of campuses in this state violate speech laws
January 26, 2010 by Claire KnightPosted in: From the Courts, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
Students’ speech rights are limited on campus, but almost 70% of this state’s schools go too far, according to a recent study.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) recently released its annual report of restrictions on speech on campus. The latest report showed:
- Nearly 70% of California campuses have policies that violate state law or the U.S. Constitution by restricting speech rights.
- Ten California State University campuses have at least one policy that substantially restricts freedom of speech in violation of the law.
- Five University of California campuses have at least one policy that substantially restricts speech rights in violation of the law.
The report noted Southwestern College’s policy, which radically restricts speech rights. It regards the entire campus as a “censorship zone” with the exception of a small area called the “free speech patio.”
UC Berkeley also received a mention in the report. In 2009, a student club faced a $3,200 security fee because it presented controversial Arab-Israeli conflict speeches. University officials claimed the school would have to hire uniformed officers to prevent potential problems. But after public backlash, university officials agreed to waive the security fee.
Are speech rights restricted too much on your campus? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Tags: Southwestern College, The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, University of California-Berkeley
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January 27th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
I love these shoot and run type articles. No real meat, just an accusation without supporting evidence in the article. HOW are they violating free speech? By controlling time and location for student community safety? That is not squashing free speech rights. By not allowing a group the right to schedule a space and speak their venom based solely on content. THAT is squashing free speech. This article could have been written by FIRE for all I know. Higher Ed Morning should do a better job with what they choose to post.
January 27th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
I’m not allowed to say…
January 29th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
The article is correct. It is still to this day illegal to shout “FIRE!” in a crowded theater. I personally find this incalculably unfair, since this means that I won’t be able to scoop up all the purses etc that the panicked people would leave behind, so I can’t run off with their money, which by all rights should be MY money and not theirs. UNFAIR!!
February 5th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
I agree about the shoot and run nature of the article. The law still permits time, place and manner restrictions. Campuses have traditionally been viewed as limited forums, not public forums. And, while I want speech to be free, the First Amendment isn’t a free pass that some people think. The central mission, to educate, comes first. Telling a Christian rock band that they can’t play outside an academic building during class sessions comes to mind; they can play elsewhere, just not where it would interfere with the central mission of the university. Is that really that hard to understand?
Interestingly, most infractions of free speech I witness come from the academic/politically correct crowd who decry limitations like those noted above, but are quick to shut down any arguments that don’t comport with their philosophical or political views. The Christian rock band shouldn’t be permitted to play because their religious expression might offend someone of a different (or no) belief system. When did being offended become a constitutional violation?
What tangled webs we weave in the ivory tower!
February 24th, 2010 at 11:23 am
I agree NMadvisorEsq. Particularly with paragraph #2.