Dixie State Suspends Restrictive Speech Codes After Lawsuit From Students and FIRE
We’re very lucky to have an organization like FIRE to fight for free speech on college campuses.
The FIRE blog reports.
After Lawsuit’s Filing, Dixie State Suspends Restrictive Speech Codes, Plans to Revise Policies
ST. GEORGE, Utah, May 5, 2015—Dixie State University has announced that it will suspend the unconstitutional speech codes that three students challenged in a First Amendment lawsuit filed in March. The lawsuit, which is supported by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), targeted Dixie State’s unconstitutional flyer approval process, posting policies, “free speech zone,” and club event policies—all of which are now suspended.
In addition to suspending the speech codes, Dixie State President Richard B. Williams announced in an email yesterday to the campus community that the university will permanently revise its policies. In his email, President Williams stated that Dixie State is a place “where even unpopular answers, seemingly absurd ideas, and unconventional thought are not only permitted, but even encouraged.”
FIRE will continue to monitor developments at Dixie State closely to ensure that the university’s apparent recognition of First Amendment principles translates into meaningful policy reform.
“Students shouldn’t need to go to a free speech zone or ask permission from administrators to exercise their free speech rights on a public university campus,” said FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff. “Universities like Dixie State are increasingly recognizing that speech codes are losers in both the court of law and the court of public opinion, and they are declining to defend them when challenged.”
After Lawsuit’s Filing, Dixie State Suspends Restrictive Speech Codes, Plans to Revise Policies (FIRE)
Comments
The imposition of codes and zones says more about the competence of the administration than anything else. They simply caved to a law suit, but probably still believe in suppression of free speech. They need a complete make-over of controllers.