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Possible Lawsuit at Stanford
FIRE recently learned that FIRE Legal Network attorney Robert Corry, who successfully sued Stanford University for its speech code in 1994, has taken up the cause of preserving door-to-door distribution of student publications on Stanford’s campus. Stanford bans door-to-door distribution of literature unless hall residents specifically vote to endorse it, and the conservative Stanford Review, whose editors have long distributed their issues door-to-door, has joined The Stanford Progressive in objecting to the current state of affairs. Review editors have refused to abide by Stanford’s policy and are currently facing sanctions. All of this has led Corry to write to Stanford’s president threatening a lawsuit unless the ban on door-to-door distribution is overturned. His reasoning, to those uninitiated in the peculiarities of California, relies upon the Golden State’s unique Leonard Law, which requires its non-religious private universities to act as if they are bound by the First Amendment.
Recent Articles
FIRE’s award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.
A third of Stanford students say using violence to silence speech can be acceptable
FIRE used polling data before and after the judge’s visit to map out how a high-profile heckler’s veto changed Stanford’s free speech climate.
Stanford president and provost cheer free expression in open letter to incoming class
The letter is a ringing embrace of the importance of free speech to the mission of a university.
FIRE survey shows Judge Duncan shoutdown had ‘chilling effect’ on Stanford students
According to a new FIRE survey, conservative students self-censored more often after the shoutdown than before the shoutdown.
USC canceling valedictorian’s commencement speech looks like calculated censorship
The university’s move, citing vague ‘safety concerns’ appears designed to placate critics of the student’s Israel criticism.