University of Baltimore: Student Punished for Discriminatory Harassment Over Class Discussion on Language and Gender

The University of Baltimore investigated and reprimanded a student for discriminatory harassment after she referred to trans people as “transformers” and transwomen as a “transformer simile subcategory” of women in a class discussion forum on “names and gender.” FIRE wrote the university on July 13, explaining that the student’s comments were protected speech that did not rise to the level of punishable harassment and that the university’s harassment policy was facially unconstitutional. The letter urged the university to rescind its reprimand and revise its policy to comport with the First Amendment.