University of Nevada at Reno: Unconstitutional Free Speech Zone Policy
At the University of Nevada at Reno, the university's policy designated only four small or remote areas on UNR's campus as "‘public forum' areas," and explicitly deemed the rest of the campus a non-public forum. Student activists, working with FIRE and the ACLU of Nevada, protested this unconstitutional policy and proposed a new policy that would open the public university campus to free speech. The students worked closely with UNR administrators, and were able to introduce a policy that designates the entire campus-save the interior of university buildings-as an "open public forum area."
Case Materials
"Victory for Freedom of Speech: University of Nevada at Reno Abolishes ‘Free Speech Zones’," FIRE Press Release, June 28, 2006: Students at the University of Nevada at Reno (UNR) are freer today, thanks to a new policy that designates the entire campus—save the interior of university buildings—as an “open public forum area.” The university’s previous policy designated only four small or remote areas on UNR’s campus as “‘public forum’ areas,” and explicitly deemed the rest of the campus a non-public forum. Student activists, working with FIRE and the ACLU of Nevada, protested this unconstitutional policy and proposed a new policy that would open the public university campus to free speech. The students worked closely with UNR administrators, who approved the policy earlier this month.
"Free Speech Under Quarantine at University of Nevada, Reno," FIRE Press Release, April 26, 2006: FIRE is calling for the repeal of an unlawful and immoral “free speech zone” policy at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). This policy quarantines free speech at UNR to four zones covering only a small percentage of the campus and places onerous bureaucratic restrictions on speech even within these zones.
"FIRE Applauds University of Nevada-Reno's Dropping of 'Speech Zones'," Jim Brown, Agape Press, July 5, 2006: FIRE's president says his group is "thrilled" that the University of Nevada at Reno has taken such decisive action to protect its students' free-speech rights. "This is truly a victory for liberty," he comments, "and we commend the students and administrators who made this happen." The First Amendment rights advocate notes that FIRE's work against so-called "free-speech zones" began more than four years ago at West Virginia University, where a long campaign of public pressure from the advocacy group brought about the school's eventual abandonment of its policies restricting free expression to designated areas.
"Say what?," Chicago Sun-Times, April 30, 2006: The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education at www.thefire.org notes that the University of Nevada at Reno Public Forum Policy allows students to offer "public expression in the form of freedom of speech and advocacy" as a "fundamental right" as long as they do it in one of four specified areas at times designated in Section 5303 Operation, Use and Maintenance of University Facilities and are in physical possession of a signed approval.
