Issues

“Microaggressions” are subtle slights against another based on a person’s status in a minority or marginalized group, including slights made unconsciously or unintentionally. A widely circulated list of examples of “Microaggressions in Every Day Life” includes saying “America is a melting pot” to a person of color, or helping a disabled person board a bus... Read more Read more

Too often, colleges and universities maintain policies that limit student and faculty demonstrations and other expressive activities to small and/or out-of-the-way areas on campus — so-called “free speech zones.” The idea of a “free speech zone” might sound appealing in theory. But in practice, these zones function more like free speech quarantines, banishing student and... Read more Read more

The college you attend holds a tremendous amount of power over your life. Administrators’ choice of whether or not to grant you a degree, or whether or not to place a mark on your transcript saying that you have committed a serious disciplinary offense, can have a dramatic impact on your future. What many people... Read more Read more

On our nation’s college campuses, sexual harassment is considered to be a form of sex discrimination that is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs that receive federal funding. Because almost all colleges and universities receive funds through... Read more Read more

There is no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment. Contrary to a common misconception, most expression one might identify as “hate speech” is protected by the First Amendment and cannot lawfully be censored, punished, or unduly burdened by the government — including public colleges and universities. The Supreme Court of the United States has... Read more Read more

Recently, government efforts to fight sexual harassment on campus using Title IX have sometimes overstepped the bounds of the law and the Constitution. Read more

More colleges and universities are adopting affirmative consent policies to help combat sexual assault. But these policies threaten fundamental fairness. Read more