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Johns Hopkins University: Student Punished for Party Invitation

After weeks of public pressure, Johns Hopkins University reduced its draconian punishment of student Justin Park, who posted an "offensive" "Halloween in the Hood" party invitation on Facebook. The university concluded Park's appeal, and he is satisfied with the outcome. FIRE is, nonetheless, troubled that any punishment remains and Johns Hopkins remains on FIRE's Red Alert list.

Case Materials

• "FIRE 2010 U.S. News Letter to JHU President Daniels," January 7, 2010
• "FIRE Exposes Unrepentant Abusers of Liberty in ‘U.S. News’ College Rankings Issue," August 25, 2008: The 2009 edition of U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges issue, released today, includes a full-page advertisement from FIRE highlighting the five colleges and universities that have earned FIRE's Red Alert distinction for being the "worst of the worst" when it comes to liberty on campus. Students should think twice before choosing to attend Red Alert schools, which include Brandeis University, Colorado College, Johns Hopkins University, Tufts University, and Valdosta State University.
• "US News and World Report FIRE ad," August 25, 2008
• "Letter from Johns Hopkins University Vice President and General Counsel Stephen S. Dunham to FIRE, April 27, 2007," April 27, 2007
• "FIRE Letter to Johns Hopkins University President William Brody, April 2, 2007," April 2, 2007
• "Johns Hopkins University Resolves ‘Halloween in the Hood’ Case; Students’ Rights Remain in Jeopardy," January 8, 2007: After weeks of public pressure, Johns Hopkins University has reduced its draconian punishment of student Justin Park, who posted an “offensive” Halloween party invitation on Facebook.com. The university has concluded Park’s appeal, and he is satisfied with the outcome, but FIRE is troubled that any punishment remains. Moreover, FIRE believes that the university’s conduct throughout this case—and throughout 2006 in general—leaves serious doubts about whether students at Hopkins have even the most minimal rights to free speech and due process.
• "FIRE Letter to Johns Hopkins University President William Brody and Board of Trustees, December 8, 2006," December 8, 2006
• "Letter from Johns Hopkins University Vice President and General Counsel Stephen S. Dunham to FIRE, December 6, 2006," December 6, 2006
• "Johns Hopkins University Suspends Student for One Year for 'Offensive' Halloween Invitation," November 30, 2006: Johns Hopkins University has suspended a student for an entire year for posting Halloween party invitations that some students found offensive on Facebook.com. After the university found 18-year-old junior Justin Park guilty of failing to respect the rights of others, harassment, and intimidation, among other charges, Park sought help from FIRE.
• "FIRE Letter to Johns Hopkins University President William Brody, November 28, 2006," November 28, 2006
• "Letter from Associate Dean of Students Dorothy Sheppard to Justin Park, November 20, 2006," November 20, 2006
• "Letter from Associate Dean of Students Dorothy Sheppard to Justin Park, November 6, 2006," November 6, 2006
• "Second 'Halloween in the Hood' Party Invitation, Posted by Justin Park on Facebook.com, October 27, 2006," October 27, 2006
• "'Halloween in the Hood' Party Invitation, Posted by Justin Park on Facebook.com, October 26, 2006," October 26, 2006
• "Johns Hopkins University 2006-2007 Student Handbook," September 1, 2006

Blog Entries

• "Still Looking for a New Year's Resolution, Red Alert Schools?," by Peter Bonilla, January 14, 2010
• "How Can Johns Hopkins University Get Off FIRE’s Red Alert List?," by Peter Bonilla, September 4, 2009
• "This Month in FIRE History: Johns Hopkins Suspends Student for One Year for ‘Offensive’ Halloween Invitation," by Claire Jenkins, November 17, 2008
• "How Can Johns Hopkins University Get Off FIRE’s Red Alert List?," by Adam Kissel, August 29, 2008
• "Johns Hopkins Still Under Fire," by Sean Clark, January 12, 2007
• "Media Coverage of Johns Hopkins ‘Hood’ Party Continues," by Emily Guidry, January 9, 2007
• "Johns Hopkins Resolves Facebook Case; Becomes FIRE’s First-Ever ‘Censor of the Year’," by Tara Sweeney, January 8, 2007
• "William Brody Non-Responds to High School Student," by Luke Sheahan, December 18, 2006
• "The Consequences of “Civility”: A Torch Reader’s Take on Hopkins," by William Creeley, December 18, 2006
• "Mike Adams on Justin Park and Johns Hopkins," by Greg Lukianoff, December 15, 2006
• "High School Student to Brody: I Won’t Attend Johns Hopkins," by Luke Sheahan, December 14, 2006
• "Brody, Mill, and the “Truth”," by Chris Perez, December 13, 2006
• "Remember What’s Really at Stake at Johns Hopkins," by Samantha Harris, December 12, 2006
• "Hopkins President Brody: Civility Trumps Free Speech," by Tara Sweeney, December 12, 2006
• "Johns Hopkins’ Unique Interpretation of ‘Free Speech’," by Tara Sweeney, December 11, 2006
• "Jason Antebi on Hopkins and Facebook," by Robert Shibley, December 8, 2006
• "Mike Adams on Johns Hopkins," by Emily Guidry, December 7, 2006
• "Hopkins Ignores Due Process," by William Creeley, December 1, 2006
• "Expression, Not Harassment, at Hopkins," by Tara Sweeney, December 1, 2006
• "Public Pressure on Hopkins Continues," by Chris Perez, December 1, 2006
• "FIRE in ‘The Baltimore Sun’ on Censorship at Johns Hopkins University," by Samantha Harris, November 30, 2006: FIRE’s criticism of Johns Hopkins University for its blatant disregard for free speech has gained the attention of the Baltimore media. The Baltimore Sun reported today on Hopkins’ one-year suspension of student Justin Park, who was punished for posting an “offensive” invitation to his fraternity's Halloween party on Facebook.com. The article also reported on the letter that FIRE sent the university to protest the severe sanctions imposed upon Park simply for engaging in expression. Hopkins found Park guilty of harassment and intimidation and suspended him until January 2008. The university, which holds itself out as a “forum for the free expression of ideas,” also ordered Park to complete 300 hours of community service, to read 12 books and write a reflection paper on each, and to attend diversity training.
• "JHU Statement on “Halloween in the Hood” Party," by Sean Clark, November 6, 2006
• "Hopkins Busts ‘Halloween in the Hood’," by Tara Sweeney, October 31, 2006

Media Coverage

• "Looking back at a crisis, one year later,"
  by Max McKenna, Johns Hopkins News-Letter, November 2, 2007
• "Campus Alert: Hassled at Hopkins,"
  , New York Post, June 18, 2007
• "Facing off over Facebook,"
  by Greg Lukianoff and William Creeley, The Boston Phoenix, February 21, 2007
• "Johns Hopkins’ 1st Amendment,"
  by Edward Delp, Indiana Daily Student, January 12, 2007
• "Johns Hopkins student appeals punishment for Facebook advertisement,"
  by Scott Sternberg, Student Press Law Center News Flash, January 11, 2007
• "Hopkins cuts punishment for student over ‘Hood’ Halloween party,"
  , Associated Press, January 9, 2007
• "Penalty reduced over ‘hood’ party,"
  by Sumathi Reddy, The Baltimore Sun, January 9, 2007
• "Hopkins cuts punishment in party case,"
  , Inside Higher Ed, January 9, 2007
• "Campus thought police,"
  by Jason Antebi, Front Page Magazine, December 8, 2006
• "Johns Hopkins suspends student for Facebook Halloween party advertisement,"
  by Marnette Federis, Student Press Law Center News Flash, December 6, 2006
• "Conduct unbecoming,"
  , FOXNews.com, December 3, 2006
• "Hopkins student appeals suspension for offensive Web posting,"
  by Ron Cassie, The Baltimore Examiner, December 1, 2006
• "Student expelled for year for invitation,"
  , United Press International, December 1, 2006
• "Free speech and punishment at Hopkins,"
  by Paul Thacker, Inside Higher Ed, December 1, 2006
• "Race debate shifts to free speech,"
  by Sumathi Reddy, The Baltimore Sun, November 30, 2006