Student groups have the right to determine their own membership. That was FIRE’s message to Penn State after one of its administrators incorrectly told student members of the College Independents they weren’t allowed to remove a disruptive member.
The troubling decision says faculty speech about institutional governance doesn’t get First Amendment protection, giving public universities broad power to oust faculty whistleblowers, dissenters.
Student government complained event flyers featuring sunglasses with a queer pride flag and a skull and crossbones superimposed over the lenses violated the university’s discriminatory harassment policy.
FIRE commends The Ohio State University for not requiring applicants for either faculty or staff positions to submit diversity statements as a condition of hiring.
FIRE warned the University of New Mexico in 2017 about imposing exorbitant event security fees on student groups, but six years later, UNM is reportedly at it again.