Abolish University Speech Codes

According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), “Close to 60% of campuses in 2013 substantially abridged the First Amendment rights of faculty and students.” The foundation’s latest report also surveyed “427 public and private four-year colleges and says it found 250 speech codes that are facially unconstitutional.”  These codes cover anything from speech that is found to harass an individual to speech found to verbally assault another person, which can dangerously extend to any speech that is found to be “offensive”.  As a result, these policies stifle free expression on campus and foster close-minded environments resistant to change and revolution.

In one recent event, students at Coastal Carolina University faced disciplinary action for sidewalk chalk protesting racial and judicial injustice after the Ferguson grand jury decision. Three of the students caught in the act were detained by CCU police but the university has said that it will not pursue criminal charges. However, they have been charged with violating the university’s code of conduct, including “vandalism” , and $1000 in damages. Even more ridiculously, the university explained its decision in that “the individuals did not get prior approval from the Office of Student Life, as is required”.  

Furthermore, students in high school face the same censorship many college students encounter during their college education. In an incident similar to Coastal Carolina, in Lewiston, Maine, the Lewiston School Administration took down a #BlackLivesMatter poster because it stated that the students had not gone through the proper poster approval process. It is simply a disgrace for a high school to restrict such speech because these limitations teach students unquestionable obedience to the rules of their oppressors. These boundaries also allow a broad limitation of speech in the hopes of preventing any speech that may “offend” someone, and can even extend to the private sphere as schools are increasingly able to regulate student affairs outside of school time. 

Ultimately, to reverse this terrifying trend and restore free expression and speech among every college and school campus across America, these speech codes must be abolished. Having them codified into educational institutions only stifles the interaction of ideas, encourages obedience to an oppressive authority, and prevents the growth of well rounded individuals. Thus, I urge educational institutions to eliminate all speech codes and deal with any cases of right violations between students in a sensible manner that respects the rights of both sides.