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Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
PAtownhall.com
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
by Newsletter
N.C. State in Uproar Over Racist Messages in 'Free Expression Tunnel'
Anger and controversy have been swirling at North Carolina State University about messages painted in N.C. State's "Free Expression Tunnel" that most likely referred to killing President-elect Barack Obama. Since the incident, four students have admitted responsibility for the messages and have issued an anonymous public apology. The Secret Service investigated the matter but determined that this legal graffiti did not constitute a true threat against anyone and that no crime was committed. FIRE, the ACLU, and two local newspapers have come to the defense of freedom of speech, pointing out that N.C. State's commitment to free expression means nothing if it cannot survive the test of extremely unpleasant speech, that very little such speech ever rises to the level of incitement. (Indeed, not even the recent graffiti does). Meanwhile, N.C. State actually advertises similarly violent and derogatory language against another country's leader as an example of legitimate expression in the tunnel. The UNC system could not follow through on President Erskine Bowles' idea for a ban on "hate speech" without producing an unconstitutional policy.
Calling All Law Students: Be a FIRE Legal Intern for Summer 2009
FIRE is pleased to announce a formal call for applications for our Summer 2009 Legal Internship. We're looking for rising second- and third-year law students with an interest in First Amendment law. Among other tasks, Legal Interns will work directly with FIRE attorneys to perform legal research and compose memoranda on current FIRE cases and issues; therefore, we ask that all applicants possess excellent legal writing, research, and analytical skills. While supervised and well-structured, our Legal Internship allows participating students significant autonomy in developing their own legal interests within FIRE's focus on campus civil liberties. FIRE attorneys will be available for assistance in the development of writing samples and legal scholarship. For more information about FIRE's Legal Internships, including how to apply, please visit this information page.
Listen to Greg's Interview with Milt Rosenberg on December 4th
This Thursday, FIRE President Greg Lukianoff will be interviewed on the Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg radio program on WGN Chicago (720 AM). A 2008 National Humanities Medal winner, Milt Rosenberg has been on the air with WGN since 1973 and is also a member of FIRE's Board of Advisors. Greg's interview starts at 9:00 p.m. and will cover FIRE's recent cases. If you're not in the Chicago area on December 4th, you can listen to WGN online.
FIRE Joins Press Organizations Expressing Concern about Overbroad 'Cyber-Bullying' Memo
In response to New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram's memo urging colleges to include prohibitions on "cyber-harassment" and "bullying" in their codes of student conduct, FIRE, the Student Press Law Center, and the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists have co-signed a letter urging Attorney General Milgram to ensure that any such prohibitions are compatible with the robust constitutional rights enjoyed by students on campus. Milgram's office has sent letters to colleges and universities across New Jersey arguing that school administrators "have a role to play in reducing inappropriate content, conduct, and contact on the Internet." FIRE and the other organizations involved are concerned that directives against "bullying" passed in response to Milgram's campaign are likely to be stated so vaguely and with such overbreadth that they will chill or prohibit wide swaths of constitutionally protected speech. The letter reminds the Attorney General that any instance of "cyber-bullying" that constitutes true harassment is, of course, already prohibited by existing law.
December 1, "Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Hides its Sexual Harassment Policy," Samantha Harris
December 1, "Speech Code of the Month: Lone Star College," Samantha Harris
December 1, "Calling all Law Students: Be a FIRE Legal Intern for Summer 2009," William Creeley
November 26, "Greg Lukianoff and Adam Kissel to Speak at NAS Conference in D.C. ," Alisha Glennon
November 26, "What I Have To Be Thankful for This Thanksgiving," Greg Lukianoff
Read The Torch at thefire.org »
Recent Media Coverage
Huntington News, November 29, "Nothing Better to Do? Juicy Campus Mostly Trash Speaking Dud," by Tony Rutherford
The Valdosta Daily Times, November 24, "Order issued in lawsuit," by Malynda Fulton
The Red and Black, November 19, "Univ. Housing employs 'curious policies'," by Chris Chiego
More media coverage at thefire.org »
Recent Multimedia Content
FIREside Chats, Episode 134: Adam Kissel at Wabash College
FIREside Chats, Episode 133: FIRE's Victory at Temple College
More multimedia at thefire.org »
2008
The mission of FIRE is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities.
Speech Code of the Month
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for December 2008: Lone Star College in Texas. FIRE recently addressed the suppression of free speech at one of the colleges in the Lone Star College System, when Lone Star College–Tomball censored a student group for distributing a jocular flyer listing "Top Ten Gun Safety Tips." Now, FIRE has learned that the Lone Star College System maintains speech codes that threaten free expression at all five of the system's campuses. The most vague and overbroad of these policies, found in the system-wide Student Code of Conduct, prohibits any "vulgar expression" on any Lone Star College campus, including in electronic communications. This policy is unconstitutionally vague; students have no way of knowing what exactly is prohibited, since what is "vulgar" depends entirely on who is hearing or viewing the expression in question. It is also overbroad, explicitly prohibiting speech and expression such as the kinds of "vulgar" satire, parody, and social commentary that the Supreme Court has repeatedly held are protected by the First Amendment.
RSS Feed | Multimedia | Speech Code of the Month
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