Policies and Practices that Threaten Student Rights
- Speech Codes are used to censor and intimidate expressions of faith. In Pennsylvania, university officials enacted a speech code that prohibited “acts of intolerance” and engaged in viewpoint discrimination by defunding a student group for certain kinds of speech.
- Speech Zones and Speech-restrictive Policies are used to limit the ability of students to speak freely on campus. This happened at Yuba College in California, where campus officials allowed ”free speech” for only two hours a week and silenced a student from expressing his faith to other students along a campus walkway. Campus police told him he needed a permit and threatened him with expulsion and arrest if he continued to exercise his free speech rights on campus.
- Student Activity Fees freely accessed by all campus groups cannot be denied to Christian student groups. The University of South Carolina School of Law denied a Christian student group student activity funds just because they were a “religious organization.”
- Compelled Participation of students and faculty in public advocacy of views and adoption of values contrary to their faith is unconstitutional. At Missouri State University, administrators and faculty directed a student to participate in lobbying the state legislature to support adoption by same-sex partners as part of her course work toward a degree in social work. When she refused because of her Christian beliefs, she was brought up on academic charges, and administrators threatened to withhold her degree.
- “Nondiscrimination” Policies are used to undermine the ability of student groups to select members and leaders based on shared beliefs. University of Florida officials refused to recognize a Christian fraternity because it limited its membership to Christian men.
- Academic and Employment Retaliation against students and faculty members who engage in legitimate, constitutionally protected speech and exercise of religion is becoming increasingly common. Dr. Michael Adams was a rising star in the University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s sociology and criminology department—until he became a Christian. He became the target of numerous intrusive investigations on campus and was denied promotion to full professor for tenure, even though he excelled in all three areas of evaluation.
Larinda J King
Foot washing considered hazing at Savannah State University
Know someone who would like to know more about their religious rights on campus?
on Social Networks
© 2010 Alliance Defense Fund. All Rights Reserved.
