Florida State University
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Website: http://www.fsu.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 11th Circuit
Speech Code Rating
Florida State University 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
Student Conduct Code: Sex Discrimination
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018Gender Based Hostility: Negative treatment or use of derogatory or offensive language toward a person because of that person’s gender, whether or not the language itself is sexual.
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Statement
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018Behavior that may be considered offensive, demeaning, or degrading to persons or groups will not be tolerated.
Discrimination Response System
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: May 11, 2018Bias – for the purpose of this process we define the term “Bias” as an act or behavior motivated by the offender(s) pre-formed negative opinion or attitude toward facets of another person(s)’ identity. An incident of bias may occur whether the act is intentional or unintentional. An act of bias may be directed toward an individual or group. Bias may contribute to creating an unsafe, hostile and/or an unwelcoming environment for another person(s). For Florida State University, an incident of bias is an act that directly violates any of the tenets of The Seminole Creed.
Student Conduct Code: Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018a. Conduct, not of a sexual nature, that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for another person.
b. Action(s) or statement(s) that threaten harm or intimidate another …
d. Bullying behavior, defined as: the systematic and chronic infliction of physical hurt or psychological distress by teasing, social exclusion, threat, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, theft, harassment, or destruction of property.
Adopted Regulations: Administrative Matters- FSU-2.0131 Posting, Chalking Advertising and Active Distribution of Materials on FSU Campuses
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018The Active distribution or passing/handing out of materials shall be limited to the designated locations on the maps located at www.posting.fsu.edu.
Undergraduate Bulletin: A Summons to Responsible Freedom
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: May 11, 2018Relations among all persons should be characterized by mutual respect and equality. Sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual coercion of any sort are wrong and constitute a violation of fundamental moral requirements and state law. … Racism, whether in assumptions, attitudes, acts, or policies, is incompatible with the concept of responsible freedom as espoused by Florida State University.
Adopted Regulations: Administrative Matters- FSU-2.0131 Posting, Chalking Advertising and Active Distribution of Materials on FSU Campuses
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018Materials posted or distributed may not: glorify, edify, promote or support the use or sale of alcohol or illegal drugs; display trademarks and or brand names of alcohol or illegal drug products; contain material that is obscene or defamatory; be directed to incite or promote imminent lawless action.
Adopted Regulations: Student Life- FSU-3.003 Freedom of Expression Rights and Responsibilities, Open Platform Areas
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: May 11, 20183. The green area on the east side of Moore Auditorium, pavilion on the south side of Moore Auditorium and north of the Legacy Walk sidewalk, and the grassy area between Gate K of the football stadium and the Heritage Fountain a are designated “open platforms” for this purpose. Any student or other individual who desires to be heard publicly on any issue of concern may use these areas subject to the provisions of this regulation at any time when previous scheduling does not preclude such use but only from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time. …
4. Organized or prearranged outdoor assemblies shall be registered at least twenty-four hours in advance in the Oglesby Union Guest Services Office. Exceptions to the twenty-four-hour notice requirement and amplification permission consistent with Section 6 herein may be granted by the Union Director or designee.
Student Conduct Code: Scope
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: May 11, 2018The right of all students to seek knowledge, debate ideas, form opinions, and freely express their ideas is fully recognized by Florida State University. This Student Conduct Code applies to student conduct and will not be used to discipline the lawful expression of ideas.
FSU Policy 2-2: Sex Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018Conduct violates this Policy when it: … is severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive enough to create a hostile environment.
[…]
Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: … The conduct is sufficiently severe, frequent, or wide-spread that, both subjectively (to the Reporting Party) and objectively (to a reasonable person), it: (i) creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; or (ii) denies, interferes with, or limits a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from educational opportunities, university programs, or activities.
Sexual harassment may be found in a single severe incident, as well as a pattern of behavior. Examples of behavior that could be sexually harassing include, but are not limited to: i. Verbal Conduct: sexual teasing, sexual jokes, sexual innuendoes, sexual remarks about a person’s body or sexual attractiveness, unwelcome demands for sexual favors, continuing unwelcome sexual advances or flirting, and sexual whistling (cat-calling). ii. Non-Verbal Conduct: staring at someone’s sexual body parts (breasts, buttocks, groin), sexual gestures, and inappropriate display of sexual graffiti, posters, pictures, cartoons, drawings, emails, texts, body parts, or objects. iii. Physical Conduct: unwelcome sexual touching of another’s body, such as kissing, pinching, groping, fondling, or blocking normal movement.
Information Security Policy
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: May 11, 2018Members may not use University IT resources for the following: … engaging in activities that may harass, threaten, or abuse others.
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Ten Colleges And Universities Where Free Speech is in Danger
June 20, 2016
By Kelly McDonald at The Daily Caller These popular schools all have one thing in common: they use vaguely-worded policies to prevent the free exchange of ideas, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). Below are ten colleges and universities that FIRE has designated “red light” schools. “A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech,” FIRE explains… Read more here.
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Free Speech Losing Ground
November 7, 2015
By Staff at The Columbus Dispatch It’s bad news that free speech is being curtailed on campuses across the country today. The worse news, though, is that many students don’t seem to realize it or care. A poll released by Yale University’s William F. Buckley Jr. Program, conducted by polling firm McLaughlin & Associates, found that more than half (51 percent) of students “are in favor of their college or university having speech codes to regulate speech for students and faculty.” That means a student or teacher accused of saying something bigoted or “wrong” can be charged with a violation […]
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Academic Fascism II
August 17, 2015
By Walter Williams at DeSoto Times-Tribune Last week’s column highlighted college campus absurdities and the ongoing attack on free speech and plain common sense. As parents gear up to fork over $20,000 to $60,000 for college tuition, they might benefit from knowing what greets their youngsters. Deceitful college officials, who visit high schools to recruit students and talk to parents, conceal the worst of their campus practices. Let’s expose some of it. Christina Hoff Sommers is an avowed feminist and a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. She’s spent a lifetime visiting college campuses. Recently, upon her arrival at Oberlin […]
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Florida State University Wins FIRE’s Speech Code Of The Month
July 11, 2015
By Aleister at College Insurrection I don’t understand how students at this school communicate about anything without putting themselves in jeopardy. Samantha Harris reports at the FIRE blog. Speech Code of the Month: Florida State University FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for July 2015: Florida State University(FSU). FSU’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Statement provides that “[b]ehavior that may be considered offensive, demeaning, or degrading to persons or groups will not be tolerated.” This language is so broad that you could drive a truck through it, leaving the university with unfettered discretion to punish virtually any speech or […]
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FIRE Report Finds Very Restrictive Speech Codes at American Universities
January 21, 2014
by Alec Torres The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) released its annual report on college-campus speech codes last week finding that while the percentage of colleges that seriously infringe upon students’ free-speech rights has diminished in recent years, many universities still burden students with overbearing and sometimes ridiculous speech regulations. Here’s a look at some of the most egregious speech codes that FIRE found: The University of Connecticut requires that “every member of the University shall refrain from actions that intimidate, humiliate, or demean persons or groups, or that undermine their security or self-esteem.” At Athens State University in Alabama, […]
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College Athletes Caught in Tangled Web
May 24, 2006
Four San Diego State students recently logged on to a computer and did what thousands of other college students do these days during their spare time. They were having fun on MySpace.com, posting personal party pictures and commentaries about life in college. Some included references to drinking alcoholic beverages and snide remarks about recent soccer practices, according to a student colleague of the four. But because the four students were athletes – in this case women’s soccer players – they suffered a penalty for it. When they didn’t heed their coach’s warning to stop posting on the site, they were […]
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Florida becomes ninth state to ban restrictive campus free speech zones
March 12, 2018
Florida State, University of West Florida, Florida Atlantic, and other schools must change speech policies TALLAHASSEE, Mar. 12, 2018 — Yesterday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law SB 4, a broad higher education bill, which was amended to include free speech protections at the state’s public colleges and universities. The new law prohibits Florida public colleges and universities from quarantining student expression into small, misleadingly labeled “free speech zones.” The campus free speech provisions are based on the CAFE Act model legislation from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. “Students at public colleges and universities in Florida should […]
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Florida State University suspends free speech and freedom of assembly until further notice
November 10, 2017
In the wake of a student’s tragic death, administrators at Florida State University are clamping down on free speech and freedom of association by banning Greek activities until further notice. If this sounds familiar, it’s because the facts closely match what happened at Louisiana State University just over a month ago. Following the possibly alcohol-related death of FSU student Andrew Coffey and the unrelated arrest of another for cocaine trafficking, Florida State President John Thrasher announced the indefinite suspension of all Greek activities. Affecting an estimated 7,588 Greek students, proscribed activities include “new member events, council or chapter meetings, chapter […]
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Students at Florida State University Show What Campus Dialogue Can Look Like
September 29, 2016
We see too many stories about students who try to silence viewpoints they don’t want expressed on campus and who thus miss opportunities to take part in difficult, and often important, conversations. But not enough focus is given to students who make an effort to engage with the views of those with whom they passionately disagree, and the good that can result from those discussions—so we’d like to draw your attention to a recent exchange at Florida State University (FSU). Two events intended to draw out FSU students occurred simultaneously last Friday: a “National Blackout” event coordinated by students addressing […]
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Speech Code of the Month: Florida State University
July 10, 2015
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for July 2015: Florida State University (FSU). FSU’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Statement provides that “[b]ehavior that may be considered offensive, demeaning, or degrading to persons or groups will not be tolerated.” This language is so broad that you could drive a truck through it, leaving the university with unfettered discretion to punish virtually any speech or expression it finds undesirable. Seeming to realize just that, the policy explicitly makes the university’s complaint procedures “available to all who believe their experience on any of our campuses has been less than appropriate.” At […]
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FIRE Staff Appearing on Campus in Honor of Constitution Day
September 17, 2014
FIRE staff members will be traveling to Florida State University (FSU) and North Carolina State University (NC State) to speak to student groups as a part of their Constitution Week celebrations. Azhar Majeed, Director of FIRE’s Individual Rights Education Program, will be speaking at FSU on “Fighting Back Against Speech Codes and Free Speech Zones at Florida State.” Robert Shibley, FIRE’s Senior Vice President, will be speaking at NC State on “Liberty in Peril: Speech Codes on Our Nation’s College Campuses.” Students, faculty, and FIRE supporters in both areas are invited to hear the presentations.
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FIRE’s Sevcenko: A Closer Look at the Winston Case
January 31, 2014
College football’s 2013 season is over, but unfortunately the issue of sexual assault on campus is a year-round issue. A few days ago, The Michigan Daily reported that former kicker Brendan Gibbons was expelled from the University of Michigan, soon after he was no longer eligible to play football but years after an alleged sexual assault took place in 2009. Earlier this week, ESPN reported that the University of Missouri failed to investigate allegations of sexual assault against football players raised by a student who later committed suicide. And questions have been raised about whether sexual assault allegations against Florida State […]
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‘Tampa Bay Times’ on Potential for Civil Rights Violations at Florida State
December 13, 2013
For her most recent column, Tampa Bay Times columnist Robyn E. Blumner spoke with FIRE’s Robert Shibley about campus sexual misconduct hearings. Blumner discussed why universities are “stuck in the middle” between allegations that they are not doing enough to punish students accused of sexual misconduct and reminders from FIRE and other civil liberties organizations that they must grant students a fair hearing. As Blumner points out, these competing pressures could have significant ramifications for Jameis Winston, a Florida State University (FSU) football player accused of sexually assaulting a woman approximately a year ago. In late November, State Attorney Willie Meggs decided not […]
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Ball State Student’s Tweets Receive Criticism, No Official Sanction
September 13, 2013
After Ball State University Student Government Association (SGA) president Malachi Randolph posted a series of derogatory tweets last week, the Ball State administration shared just the right message about the repercussions of such speech: “His remarks are not a violation of any university policy or law,” said Tony Proudfoot, a university spokesperson. “He is likely to find, however, that such remarks do have unintended social consequences beyond formal actions from the university.” The tweets in question included statements like “I hate when Chinese people make me write emails in Asian speak” and “Stereotypical Chinese
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‘Zero Tolerance’ for Racist Speech Raises First Amendment Concerns at Florida State
September 6, 2013
At Florida State University, a controversy has erupted in response to a student’s posting on the social media platform Vine. FSUNews.com reports: The student, Mandy Thurston, made racially-charged comments on the social media platform Vine, which ignited outrage from Florida State and Florida A&M University students alike. The statement was perceived as highly offensive and quickly received school-wide attention. FSUNews.com also has a screen capture of the post. The FSU administration has released a joint statement by Vice President for Student Affairs Mary Coburn and Student Government President Rosie Contreras in response to the controversy. The full statement can be […]
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Students Strive to Open Florida State’s Campus to More Free Speech
April 12, 2013
If ever a major public university needed campus activism to prod along improvement of its policies regulating student speech, Florida State University does. Despite being legally bound by the First Amendment as a public institution of higher education, FSU has a whopping 11 speech codes, including two “red light” policies and nine “yellow light” policies. One of these yellow light speech codes is a free speech zone policy (PDF) limiting student speech and expressive activity to three areas on campus. On a large public campus with a sizeable student body, this is simply insufficient. These types of policies are particularly […]
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More Sunlight Needed to Disinfect Speech Codes in Florida
November 13, 2012
FIRE’s own Greg Lukianoff and Azhar Majeed highlight speech code problems at colleges and universities in the state of Florida in an interview with Eric Giunta in today’s Sunshine State News. As Azhar notes in the article: “The vast majority of Florida schools have at least one policy that clearly and substantially restricts free speech … That’s certainly a poor record, and it’s somewhere around average in terms of university performance in other states.” The article is wide-ranging, covering recent developments at speech-restrictive Florida State University as well as Greg’s new book, Unlearning Liberty. Check it out!
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Still Looking for Answers from Phi Beta Kappa
December 14, 2005
FIRE recently wrote a letter to John Churchill, secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, in which we ask the organization to stand behind its stated commitment to freedom of expression by addressing the issue of repressive speech codes at its member institutions. In a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required), Churchill responded that although Phi Beta Kappa is “interested in freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression,” the society does not “undertake that kind of investigative activity.” Apparently, the society has the resources to conduct a “rigorous three-year review” of prospective member institutions that includes […]
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So, What I Hear You Saying Is—You Aren’t Offended
August 29, 2005
The NCAA controversy surrounding the supposedly “hostile” and “abusive” Native American team names is a reflection of more than a good idea gone bad—it’s a classic case of what happens when a body of administrators enacts policies that are too vague and subjective. As noted by my colleague Robert in a previous entry, the NCAA recently issued a new policy banning usage of team names derived from any ethnic/racial/national group that could be perceived as offensive. This includes mascots, school or team nicknames, and some team imagery as well. The policy is getting all kinds of reactions, and here is […]
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