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West Virginia University: Limit on Speech to Campus ‘Free Speech Zones’
Case Materials- "Victory at West Virginia University: The End of a Censorship Zone," FIRE Press Release, December 5, 2002: In a momentous victory for freedom of speech, West Virginia University has abandoned a policy that quarantined free expression to two small areas on campus. The university’s new policy now recognizes the entire campus as a "free speech zone."
- "Policy Regarding Freedom of Expression and Use of Facilities at West Virginia University and Regional Campuses, November 8, 2002," November 8, 2002
- "FIRE’s Open Letter to Professor Robert Griffith Concerning WVU’s Latest Speech Policy, May 10, 2002," May 10, 2002
- "FIRE's Second Letter to President Hardesty," April 12, 2002
- "West Virginia University Quarantines Free Speech," FIRE Press Release, March 18, 2002: West Virginia University has restricted free speech to two small areas on campus. This assault upon the First Amendment is the latest in that institution's long and sad history of attempts to restrict free expression.
- "Letter from WVU Associate General Counsel Beverly Kerr to FIRE, February 15, 2005," February 15, 2002
- "Statement from West Virginia University's Free Speech Consortium," February 14, 2002
- "FIRE's Letter to WVU's President Hardesty," February 11, 2002
- "West Virginia University's Speech Policy as of February 11, 2002," February 11, 2002
Media Coverage- "Education quality more important than marketing," Cheyenna Weber, The Charleston Gazette, May 18, 2007
- "UNCG in free speech battle," Jane Stancill, News & Observer, December 17, 2005: “UNCG’s implementation of ‘free speech zones’ is a perversion of constitutional and statutory law and has no place at an institution committed to intellectual rigor, robust debate and a free and vibrant community,” wrote Robert Shibley of FIRE in a Dec. 5 letter to UNCG Chancellor Patricia Sullivan.
- "Students to protest UNCG’s free speech zones," Amy Kingsley, Yes! Weekly (Greensboro, N.C.), November 15, 2005: A coalition of activist organizations, from the College Libertarians to the campus International Socialist Organization, plans to protest the school’s policy Wednesday. The College Democrats and Republicans have also joined the cause, which was spearheaded by the Libertarians.
- "WVU labeled 'red light' school over free speech," Justin McLaughlin, Times West Virginian, September 24, 2005: "It is a basic principle of fairness that people should be free to choose between lawful and unlawful action," Harris said. "If a policy is vague, people do not have this freedom to choose because they do not know what is prohibited. In the case of policies restricting speech, this leads to self-censorship of constitutionally protected speech because people do not know what is actually prohibited and want to avoid punishment."
- "DoE Letter Hailed as Having 'Significant' Impact on Campus Speech," Lawrence Smith, Huntington News, September 18, 2003
- "A space for speech," Sarah Muench, The Web Devil (Arizona State University), April 28, 2003
- "Issues of free speech confronted at colleges," Spencer Willig, The Daily Pennsylvanian, April 17, 2003: Citing "limitations of space on the downtown campus," WVU's student handbook designated two "areas for free speech and assembly" in April 2002. Classifying "speech activity" into five categories, including picketing and distributing literature, the areas allowing demonstrations and expression comprised less than 5 percent of the campus and none of the traditional areas for student dissent.
- "West Virginia U. Abolishes Campus Free Speech Zones," Debrah Bonn, The Daily Texan, December 9, 2002
- "WVU Ends 'Free-Speech Zones'," Bill Steigerwald, Pittsburgh Sunday Tribune-Review, November 17, 2002
- "WVU Eases Campus-Speech Rules," Ellen Sorokin, The Washington Times, November 12, 2002
- "Lawsuits, debate intensify over university 'free speech zones'," Christian Mignot, Daily Bruin (UCLA), October 1, 2002: The battle over controversial "free speech zones" on public university campuses continues to gather momentum as the lawsuits against the widely used zones multiply across the nation.
- "Muzzling Free Speech," Harvey Silverglate and Josh Gewolb, The National Law Journal, October 1, 2002
- "Boxing-in the Bill of Rights," Brent Tantillo, Campus Magazine, September 30, 2002
- "Free speech: WVU policy unnecessary," The Charleston Gazette, June 18, 2002
- "WVU Students are at Greater Liberty to Protest," Mary Kershaw, USA Today, May 13, 2002
- "WVU Students Mourn Death of Free Speech," Vicki Smith, The Associated Press State & Local Wire, May 13, 2002
- "College students protest against so-called free speech zones at their campuses, saying that they violate their First Amendment rights," Jeff Young, NPR Morning Edition, April 26, 2002: Some student activists are finding a large portion of university campuses off-limits to protests. Schools with so-called free speech zones limit the outspoken to just a few places on campus. Administrators say the zones balance free speech and the need for order on campus. But some students at West Virginia University say the zones violate their First Amendment rights. Jeff Young of West Virginia Public Radio reports.
- "Groups Fight West Virginia U. Speech Policy," Grant Smith, University Wire, April 18, 2002
- "WVU Free Speech Policy Called Better But Not Perfect," The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 15, 2002
- "Expanded Free Speech Zones' Reception Cool," Jake Stump, The Dominion Post, April 15, 2002
- "New Policy Keeps Limits on Free Speech at WVU," Vicky Smith, The Associated Press, April 1, 2002
- "Civil Libertarians Take on Campus 'Free-Speech Zones'," Ellen Sorokin, The Washington Times, March 26, 2002
- "In the Zone," Jonathan Last, The Weekly Standard, March 25, 2002
- "The Cleavage in Higher Education," Suzanne Fields, The Washington Times, March 25, 2002
- "Students, FIRE Put Heat on WVU Free Speech Rules; Civil Rights Foundation Joins Campus Protest," Jake Stump, The Dominion Post, March 22, 2002
- "Students Protest WVU Free Speech Zones," Michael Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 13, 2002
- "WVU Students Protest Free Speech Zones on Campus," Vicky Smith, The Associated Press State & Local Wire, February 12, 2002
- "First Amendment only free speech policy needed," Daniel Shapiro, The Daily Athenaeum (WVU), February 11, 2002: On Feb. 12, the Students for Economic Justice, in coalition with a variety of groups across the political spectrum, will protest the restriction of free speech at West Virginia University. The purpose of this column is to express support for that protest, and to explain to the University community how free speech is being squelched at WVU.
- "'Free-speech Zone' Policy in Force at WVU," Lawrence Smith, The Charleston Gazette, December 6, 2001
- "Student Life: Boxing In Free Speech," Randal Archibold, The New York Times, April 8, 2001
- "Promoting Order or Squelching Campus Dissent?," Scott Street, The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 12, 2001
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