Stetson University: Viewpoint-Based Censorship of Student Magazine

Case Materials

"Stetson University Outlaws Jay Leno," FIRE Press Release, December 8, 2005: Stetson University has announced that parody, “derogatory” or “demeaning” comments, and even jokes from The Tonight Show are out of bounds for its students. Stetson’s chilling declarations came after FIRE protested the private Florida university’s censorship of a student magazine.
"Letter from Stetson University Attorney Mark G. Alexander to FIRE, November 21, 2005," November 21, 2005
"FIRE Letter to Stetson University President H. Douglas Lee, November 2, 2005," November 2, 2005
"Letter from Stetson University Senior Vice President James Beasley to 'Common Sense' Editor Frank Ganz, October 31, 2005," October 31, 2005
"E-mail from Stetson University Cross Cultural Center Director Shelley Wilson to 'Common Sense' Advertiser, October 12, 2005," October 12, 2005
"Jay Leno Joke from Stetson University Student Magazine 'Common Sense'," October 1, 2005:
"Parody from Stetson University Student Magazine 'Common Sense'," October 1, 2005
"Associated Press Article on Previous Case of Student Press Censorship at Stetson University, April 12, 2003," April 12, 2003:

Media Coverage

"Florida university censors magazine for Jay Leno joke," Ricky Ribeiro, Student Press Law Center, January 25, 2006: “We produced our second issue and we actually asked the school for approval before we distributed,” Ganz said. “And after FIRE’s second letter to the school, it was pretty quick that they actually approved our second issue.”
"Stetson shuts its mind to press freedom," Mike Lafferty, Orlando Sentinel, December 23, 2005: Stetson is getting a well-deserved earful from a national free-speech organization that accuses the school of repressing the very exchange of ideas it purports to value.