Nine Days Left to Set UW Straight

Nine Days Left to Set UW Straight

by Charles Mitchell

January 27, 2006

An article in yesterday’s edition of The Spectator, the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, provided some useful information about FIRE’s battles against UWEC’s and UW-Madison’s nationally infamous “Bible study bans.” As you may recall from FIRE’s January 16 press release:
The University of Wisconsin (UW) has missed yet another opportunity to demonstrate that it respects its resident assistants’ (RAs’) basic rights. A UW System committee recommended late last week that two UW campuses be allowed to maintain policies banning RAs from leading Bible studies on their own time and in their own dormitories. UW has faced months of intense public scrutiny since the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) brought the unconstitutional ban to light.
What The Spectator brought to light is the time frame involved here: nine days. That’s how long we have until UW stops accepting public feedback on what its policy on what RAs’ expressive rights should be. So, please: don’t forget to go to the UW public comment page and call on UW System President Kevin Reilly to write a policy that truly respects RAs’ First Amendment rights—whether they want to lead a non-compulsory study of a holy book, perform The Vagina Monologues, or whatever. The window of opportunity is closing, and fast.
 
Reilly will supposedly announce the new policy at the March meeting of the UW Board of Regents.
 
Also, FIRE’s Greg Lukianoff is speaking at UWEC on Wednesday. Greg’s topic will be “Liberty in Danger: The All-Too-Frequent Quashing of Student Rights at UWEC and Nationwide.” The event is a fundraiser for a progressive student magazine FIRE defended, and it will undoubtedly be great. If you’re in the area, don’t miss it!