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Campus Progress Asks: Can Universities Restrict Free Speech on Campus?

Last week, Campus Progress's Jenn Nowicki wrote an article covering restrictions on student speech, with a particular emphasis on the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988). As the article points out, Hazelwood, a case concerning high school students' free speech rights, has been used and abused to suppress the speech of students on university campuses. Nowicki quotes FIRE's own Will Creeley in its coverage: 

While the interpretation of Hazelwood continues to be fine-tuned, advocates for free speech have been lobbying state legislatures to pass so-called ‘anti-Hazelwood' laws, which prohibit restrictions on college students' free speech. Other organizations have acted as a helping hand for students seeking legal justice against overreaching restrictions on speech propagated by universities, which are widespread and poorly recognized as violations of the first amendment.

"It is a national scandal, frankly," Creeley said. "And as long as schools continue to maintain unconstitutional policies, we will see students challenge those policies when they have been silenced on campus." 

Be sure to check out the rest of Campus Progress's fantastic article today!

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