Colorado College: Students Found Guilty for Satirical Flyer

Case Materials

• "FIRE Exposes Unrepentant Abusers of Liberty in ‘U.S. News’ College Rankings Issue," FIRE Press Release, 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
• "FIRE Letter to Colorado College President Richard F. Celeste," July 29, 2008
• "Colorado College Board of Trustees Backs School in Punishing Students for ‘Violent’ Parody," FIRE Press Release, June 26, 2008: The Chair of Colorado College's (CC's) Board of Trustees has affirmed the school's actions in finding that student Chris Robinson and another student wishing to remain anonymous violated CC's "violence" policy for posting a flyer that parodied a flyer of the Feminist and Gender Studies program. In a letter to FIRE, Board of Trustees Chair David van Diest Skilling wrote that "the College acted correctly in their handling of the students' behavior" and that "there is no need for further action." FIRE continues to call on CC to remove the guilty verdict from the students' files immediately and to stand by its own promises of freedom of expression.
• "Response from Board of Trustees Chair David van Diest Skilling to FIRE," June 18, 2008
• "FIRE Letter to Colorado College Board of Trustees Chairman David van Diest Skilling," May 16, 2008
• "Trials and Tribuations of 07/08 by Richard Celeste," The Catalyst, May 8, 2008
• "Episode 111: Adam Kissel's Speech at Colorado College," April 28, 2008
• "Colorado College Denies Appeal of Students Responsible for ‘Violent’ Parody," FIRE Press Release, April 28, 2008: Colorado College has denied student Chris Robinson's appeal of its finding that he and another student violated the school's "violence" policy for posting a flyer that parodied a flyer of the Feminist and Gender Studies program. The school also has decided not to remove any letters about the case from the students' files until after graduation. FIRE is assisting Robinson in his case against the school.
• "Episode 110: An Update on Colorado College," April 21, 2008
• ""The Free Expression Myth on America’s Campuses," Adam Kissel's Speech at Colorado College, April 21, 2008," April 21, 2008
• "Punishment Without Crime: Professor of Political Science at Colorado College David Hendrickson's Letter to 'The Catalyst,' April 11, 2008," April 11, 2008
• "Letter to Chris Robinson from Mike L. Edmonds on Appeal Decision, April 11, 2008," April 11, 2008
• "The Monthly Bag, Block 7, 2008," April 10, 2008
• "Episode 108: FIRE's Case at Colorado College," April 7, 2008
• "Professor of Political Science at Colorado College David Hendrickson's Letter to 'The Catalyst,' April 4, 2008," April 4, 2008
• "Colorado College Punishes, Deems Students “Violent” for Satirical Flyer," FIRE Press Release, March 31, 2008: Two students at Colorado College were found guilty of violating the school's conduct code regarding "violence" after they distributed a satirical flyer mocking a publication of the Feminist and Gender Studies program. As part of their punishment, the students have been required to hold a campus forum discussing issues brought up by their satirical publication. They turned to FIRE for help.
• "On The Threat to the First Amendment in Higher Education," Chris Robinson, March 28, 2008
• "Colorado College Anti-Discrimination Policy," March 28, 2008
• "FIRE Letter to Colorado College Vice President Mike L. Edmonds, March 26, 2008," March 26, 2008
• "Letter from Colorado College Vice President Mike Edmonds to Chris Robinson, March 25, 2008," March 25, 2008
• "FIRE Letter to Colorado College President Richard F. Celeste, March 21, 2008," March 21, 2008
• "Campus-wide email from President Celeste regarding the Monthly Bag, February 28, 2008," February 28, 2008
• "The Monthly Bag," February 10, 2008
• "The Monthly Rag," February 1, 2008

Blog Entries

• "This Month in FIRE History: IUSB and Double Standards for Student Speech," Claire Jenkins, September 18, 2008
• "How Can Colorado College Get Off FIRE’s Red Alert List?," Adam Kissel, August 26, 2008
• "FIRE Again Urges Colorado College President to Demonstrate His Recommitment to Free Speech," Brandon Stewart, July 31, 2008
• "Weekly Media Round-up: IUPUI Heats up the News Cycle, and Richard Celeste Continues to Get it Wrong," Peter Bonilla, July 18, 2008
• "Colorado College President Blogs on ‘Monthly Bag’ Case, Makes Errors, Spins Untruths," Adam Kissel, July 17, 2008
• "FIRE’s ‘Test for Free Speech’," Samantha Harris, July 16, 2008
• "Whence is Colorado College’s Board of Trustees Getting Its False Information?," Adam Kissel, June 26, 2008
• "Colorado College’s President Misses the Point (Again)," Brandon Stewart, June 25, 2008
• "Colorado College Joins Worst Offenders of Liberty on FIRE’s Red Alert List," Erin Osovets, May 15, 2008: Colorado College has earned the dubious distinction of being placed on FIRE's Red Alert list because of its disregard for protected speech, obvious display of double standards, and lack of a fair judicial process. In order to be placed on Red Alert, an institution must be an unrepentant offender against basic rights that it either promises or that are guaranteed by the United States Constitution, and maintain policies and/or practices that demonstrate a serious and ongoing threat to students and faculty. Colorado College has refused to remove the guilty finding from the records of two students who posted a parody flyer on campus and reaffirm its published commitments to free speech.
• "Colorado College Press Strategy: Parse Words, Ignore Substance," William Creeley, April 29, 2008
• "New Colorado College Video Now Up on Multimedia Page," Emily Guidry, April 29, 2008
• "Colorado College Denies Students’ Appeal of Guilty Finding," Emily Guidry, April 28, 2008
• "Adam Kissel’s Colorado College Lecture Available on Multimedia Page," Erin Osovets, April 28, 2008
• "Colorado College Travelogue, Part II: Media Tour," Adam Kissel, April 28, 2008
• "Colorado College Travelogue, Part I: Lecture at CC," Adam Kissel, April 24, 2008
• "Adam Kissel Speaking at Colorado College Tonight," Erin Osovets, April 21, 2008
• "Colorado College and LSSU Media Round-Up," Erin Osovets, April 18, 2008
• "Colorado College Feminists Do Not Seek Dialogue," Adam Kissel, April 16, 2008
• "What Did President Celeste Really Think About The Monthly Bag?," Robert Shibley, April 16, 2008
• "The Coalition of Some Other Dudes and the Range of an M1-A1 Tank," Adam Kissel, April 16, 2008
• "Can State Officials Condemn Without Censoring?," Adam Kissel, April 15, 2008
• "Colorado College President Celeste Blogs on “The Monthly Bag”," Robert Shibley, April 14, 2008
• "“Muzzle Tov” to Brandeis and Valdosta State from Greg," Erin Osovets, April 11, 2008
• "Greg’s New Blog for ‘The Huffington Post’ Questions Campus Speech Abuses in the Aftermath of Virginia Tech," Erin Osovets, April 8, 2008
• "Latest FIREside Chats Episode Features Colorado College," Erin Osovets, April 7, 2008
• "Colorado College Still Swarmed by Media," Erin Osovets, April 3, 2008
• "Colorado Springs Abuzz over Punishment for Parody," Adam Kissel, April 2, 2008
• "Colorado College President Defends "Violence" Finding against Satirical Flyer," Adam Kissel, April 1, 2008
• "Persecuted for Parody, Colorado College Student Fights Back in Op-Ed," William Creeley, March 31, 2008
• "Colorado College Punishes Students for “Violent” Satirical Flyer," Adam Kissel, March 31, 2008

Media Coverage

• "Group scolds CC for free-speech violations," Brian Newsome, The Gazette, June 28, 2008
• "What we're buying at college," Mona Charen, Townhall.com, May 2, 2008
• "EDITORIAL: Punished for the crime of satire," Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 1, 2008
• "Chainsaw Etiquette at Colorado College," The Independence Institute, April 25, 2008
• "Face The State's Interview with Adam Kissel of FIRE," Face the State, April 23, 2008
• "Star Chamber at CC," Vincent Carroll, Rocky Mountain News, April 16, 2008
• "Joking students called on the carpet," Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier, Denver Post, April 12, 2008
• "CC's free-speech fears," Vincent Carroll, Rocky Mountain News, April 8, 2008
• "'What Can The Virginia Tech Tragedy Do For Me?'," Greg Lukianoff, The Huffington Post, April 7, 2008
• "Flyers prompt free speech debate at Colorado College," Heather Skold, KRDO News Channel 13, April 3, 2008
• "Satirical Flier Raises Ire," Peter Marcus, Denver Daily News, April 3, 2008
• "Flyers spark free speech debate at CC," David Tauchen, KOAA NBC, April 2, 2008
• "Free speech an issue at CC after satirical flier is prohibited," Brian Newsome, The Gazette, April 1, 2008
• "Quick Takes from Inside Higher Ed: Double Standard Alleged," Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, April 1, 2008
• "Colorado College satire causes a stir," Joe Murray, The Bulletin, March 31, 2008

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