California State University – Long Beach

Location: Long Beach, California
Website: http://www.csulb.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 9th Circuit

Speech Code Rating

California State University – Long Beach has been given the speech code rating Red. A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech. Read more here.

Red Light Policies

  • Campus Regulations: General Campus Policies- Sexual Harassment

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Sexual harassment is characterized as unwelcome, offensive attention, requests, invitations, innuendo and/or conduct of a sexual or suggestive nature. Such behavior can threaten or interfere with one’s ability to learn, participate or work. When exercised by a person in a position of authority, such as an instructor or supervisor, it can contaminate the learning or work environment and impede a person’s academic progress or work status.

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Yellow Light Policies

  • Campus Regulations: Standards for Student Conduct

    Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Students are expected to be good citizens and to engage in responsible behaviors that reflect well upon their university, to be civil to one another and to others in the campus community, and contribute positively to student and university life.

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  • Campus Regulations: Standards for Student Conduct

    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Misuse of computer facilities or resources, including: … use of computing facilities and resources to send obscene or intimidating and abusive messages.

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  • Office of Equity and Diversity: Harassment

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    The following are examples of behavior that could be interpreted as harassment. These examples are meant to be illustrative only and are not an inclusive list.

    –Written communications, such as sending inappropriate jokes or comments in print or by electronically;

    –Verbal communications, such as making graphic or degrading comments about an individual and/or his/her body or personal characteristics, or using epithets, derogatory comments or slurs;

    –Physical acts, such as unwanted touching, physical interference, or event assault;

    –Visual acts or displays, such as derogatory cartoons, drawings, or posters, or inappropriate gestures;

    –Making uwelcome sexual advances or propositions, or offering benefits or giving preferential treatment in exchange for sexual favors;

    –Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to unwelcome conduct.

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  • Executive Order 1097: Systemwide Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Against Students and Systemwide Procedure for Handling Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Complaints by Students

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Harassment means unwelcome conduct, based on the Complainant’s Protected Status, that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the Complainant, and is in fact considered by the Complainant, as limiting her/his ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by the University.

    This policy covers unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. While romantic and/or social relationships between members of the University community may begin as consensual, they may evolve into situations that lead to charges of Sexual Harassment or Sexual Violence, including Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking, subject to this policy.

    Sexual Harassment, a form of Sex Discrimination, is unwelcome verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that includes, but is not limited to Sexual Violence, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and indecent exposure where:

    1. Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct is explicitly or implicitly used as the basis for any decision affecting a Student’s academic status or progress, or access to benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through the University; or
    2. Such conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the Student, and is in fact considered by the Student, as limiting the Student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by the University; or
    3. Such conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the Student, and is in fact considered by the Student, as intimidating, hostile or offensive.

    Sexual Harassment also includes acts of verbal, non-verbal or physical aggression, intimidation or hostility based on gender or sex-stereotyping, even if those acts do not involve conduct of a sexual nature.

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  • Campus Regulations: Demonstrations, Protests and Picketing

    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    The right to demonstrate does not include the right to break the law by: … using any offensive language likely to promote violence.

    …

    To ensure the orderly and peaceful flow of campus business and activities will not be disrupted, all organizations or individuals wishing to demonstrate should schedule the time and location of such an event in advance, thereby avoiding a conflict with a special campus or student event that may already be scheduled. To secure a permit, the protesting group must contact the Office of Student Life and Development, USU-215 or call (562) 985-4181.

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Green Light Policies

  • Campus Regulations: Policy Prohibiting Discrimination and Harassment and Complaint Procedures

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Prohibited Harassment means unwelcome conduct, including bullying, engaged in because of a protected status that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the student, and is in fact considered by the student, as limiting the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by the university.

    Prohibited Sexual Harassment, as defined in California Education Code §212.5, consists of both non-sexual conduct based on sex or sex-stereotyping and conduct that is sexual in nature, and includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature where:

    1. Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the student is explicitly or implicitly used as the basis for any decision affecting the student’s academic status or progress, or access to benefits and services, honors, programs or activities available at or through the university; or
    2. The conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the student, and is in fact considered by the student, as limiting the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from services, activities or opportunities offered by the university.

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  • Campus Regulations: Standards for Student Conduct

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person within or related to the university community, including physical abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, or sexual misconduct.

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  • Acceptable Use of CSULB Electronic Communications Systems and Services

    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: August 30, 2016

    Examples of prohibited use include but are not limited to: … Transmission of threats, harassment or defamation

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  • CSULB makes ‘worst of the worst’ list for free speech

    February 22, 2017

    By Andrew Edwards at Press-Telegram The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, an advocacy group, named Cal State Long Beach to its list of 10 “worst of the worst” U.S. campuses for free speech… Read more here.

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  • Cal State Long Beach, Other Colleges, Under Fire for Speech Policies

    November 2, 2016

    By Josh Dulaney at Long Beach Press Telegram Three area campuses in the Cal State University system and one University of California school in the region received warnings this week from a free speech group that says some of their institutional policies restrict student and faculty expression… Read more here.

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  • NCAC, FIRE & DLDF Letter to Cal State University Long Beach: Re-Instate Play About Race

    September 28, 2016

    By Joy Garnett at National Coalition Against Censorship NCAC’s Arts Advocacy Program has sent a joint letter to California State University Long Beach (CSULB) in response to the university’s recent cancellation of the comedy N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK (N*W*C) at the University’s Carpenter Performing Arts Center. The letter strongly urges CSULB to reverse its decision… Read more here.

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  • After Blocking Pro-Life and Pro-Gun Student Groups For a Year, CSU-Long Beach Backs Down

    August 19, 2016

    By Greg Piper at The College Fix As it enters the new school year, California State University-Long Beach could sure work on its transparency… Read more here.

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  • Some colleges need to take free-speech classes, according to survey

    December 21, 2012

    The Watchdog Blog Many of America’s colleges appear to need to take a few courses in free speech. More than 60 percent of the 400-plus colleges and universities studied by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education have policies that restrict students’ First Amendment rights. In a report released this week, FIRE also raised concern over federal and state regulations governing bullying and harassment that the report labeled sloppily written and implemented. To be fair, FIRE acknowledged that the number of schools with “red light” free-speech codes has declined for the fifth straight year. And more schools eliminated their restrictive speech policies in 2012, earning […]

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  • Conservatives Push for Political Balance on Campus

    January 26, 2005

    Conservative lawmakers and activists are seeking to whip up interest in at least nine states in countering what they say is an overwhelming liberal bias at the nation’s colleges and universities.But some free speech advocates and university officials say that efforts to mandate intellectual diversity are misguided and could have the opposite effect and suppress any speech that might be controversial. Legislators in the Republican-controlled statehouses of Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah, as well as Democratically-controlled Washington state, are expected to consider an “Academic Bill of Rights,” a proposal that seeks to keep students’ grades from being affected […]

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  • FIRE Announces America’s 10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2017

    February 22, 2017

    PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 22, 2017—More than 92 percent of American colleges maintain speech codes that either clearly restrict—or could too easily be used to restrict—free speech. Each year, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) takes a closer look at campus censorship to identify America’s 10 worst colleges for free speech. The 2017 list of the 10 worst colleges for free speech—published today with detailed descriptions at The Huffington Post—includes both public and private institutions. Public colleges and universities are bound by the First Amendment. Private colleges on this list are not required by the Constitution to respect student and […]

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  • FIRE, NCAC, and DLDF Demand Cal State Long Beach Reverse Censorship of Play

    September 28, 2016

    LONG BEACH, Calif., September 28, 2016—As issues of race and justice take on particular urgency in the national conversation, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), and the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund (DLDF) are calling on California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) to reverse its censorship of a play that seeks to shed light on these important topics. Late last month, CSULB cancelled a September 29 performance of the play N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK (N*W*C*) due to apparent opposition to its deliberately provocative content. The satirical play is performed by Asian-American, Hispanic-American, and African-American […]

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  • CSU Long Beach Administrators Refuse to Recognize Any New Student Organization [UPDATED]

    August 19, 2016

    Yesterday marked the first day of the fall semester at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), but students there cannot form new student organizations due to administrators’ “moratorium” on recognizing new organizations—a “temporary” restriction that has lasted since at least September of 2015. The unexplained moratorium means that students who want to start a new organization—whether it’s a political group or a chapter of the Make-a-Wish foundation—are added to a list, but cannot use campus facilities or ask for a dime of the fees students pay to the student government. FIRE is calling on CSULB to resume recognizing student groups, […]

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  • Cal State’s Mass Derecognition of Christian Student Groups Draws Criticism from FIRE Chairman, Board Member

    September 19, 2014

    To close out a busy week here at FIRE, FIRE Chairman and Co-founder Harvey Silverglate has an insightful opinion piece in today’s Wall Street Journal about the California State University System’s recent decision to withdraw recognition from the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the system’s 23 campuses, which enroll nearly 447,000 students. As Harvey writes, Cal State’s decision to enforce a so-called “all-comers” policy—under which all student groups must accept all students as voting members and leaders, regardless of belief—is a stinging defeat for freedom of association on campus: The new policy has insidious implications. Any student may attend IVCF meetings […]

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  • At CSU Long Beach, Petition Drive Nearly Results in Firing of Student Editor

    May 23, 2011

    A drama over press freedom has come to an end at California State University – Long Beach (CSULB) recently, when members of CSULB’s student government thought better of a petition to remove Kevin O’Brien as editor in chief of the Union Weekly, a student fee-funded opinion and humor magazine, on the basis of articles found offensive by members of the CSULB community.  As the Daily 49er, an independent CSULB publication, wrote of a recent protest against the Union Weekly: The protest stemmed from two Union Weekly articles. The first was a review critical of the 41st annual Pow Wow American Indian gathering. The article’s author and Union […]

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