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Location: Hammond, Louisiana
Website: http://selu.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 5th Circuit
Southeastern Louisiana 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 Handbook: Student Code of Conduct
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016Sexual misconduct is physical or non-physical conduct of a sexual nature in the absence of clear consent, including but not limited to: … unsolicited and unwelcome sexual overtures or conduct verbal, physical, or written.
Student Handbook: University Policy on Public Speech, Assembly, and Demonstrations
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016In accordance with US Federal Court decisions, the University has the right to regulate the time of speech or assembly activities. A two (2) hour time period will be provided to individual(s) and/or organizations for these purposes at Southeastern. Speech/assembly activities will be limited to one two (2) hour time limit per seven (7) day period, commencing the Monday of each week.
The University has designated the following sites for public discussion and/or peaceful public assembly or demonstration:
- the steps in front of the Student Union Annex and the grassy area immediately in front of the steps and bounded by the sidewalk;
- the grassy area in front of the Claude B. Pennington, Jr. Student Activity Center;
- Presidential Plaza area north of the Student Union,
as areas where public speech and assemblies may be conducted by students without prior administrative approval. Individual(s) or organizations wishing to use such areas will be required to register the public speech or assembly a minimum of seven (7) days in advance through the office of Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.
Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016Abuse of computers and other technology includes but is not limited to: … sending or posting obscene or abusive messages through electronic means.
Student Handbook: Racial Harassment Policy
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016Southeastern Louisiana University has a tradition of providing a caring and nurturing environment in which students and employees can pursue excellence. Politeness and friendliness are virtues, which members of the University community seek to demonstrate in their day-to-day interactions. Rude and/or hostile behavior, on the other hand, not only violates the University’s tradition of friendliness, but also undermines rational discourse and interferes with the educational process. Therefore, it is the policy of Southeastern Louisiana University that all employees, students and authorized users of University facilities be able to enjoy a campus environment free from all forms of discrimination, including racial or ethnic harassment.
For the purposes of University policy, the term “racial harassment” refers to any behavior, verbal or physical, that stigmatizes or victimizes individuals on the basis of race, ethnic origin and that:
1. Involves a stated or implicit threat to the victim’s academic or employment status and/or
2. Has the purpose or result of interfering with an individual’s academic or work performance and/or
3. Creates an intimidating or offensive academic, work or campus environment.Resident Guidebook: Policies and Regulations
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016The University expects students to regulate their own lives in accordance with accepted standards and good taste. This means that possessions or displays which are inconsistent with accepted standards should not be kept in students rooms, specifically signs or articles which might have been picked up inappropriately (street signs, etc.) or those in poor taste are considered inconsistent with University policy.
Responsible Computing Policy
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016The University community encourages free speech and intellectual debate. However, free speech does not include hostile, intimidating, or threatening language or behavior. Southeastern Louisiana University has a tradition of providing a caring, nurturing environment for students and employees. Any use of computer resources for the creation or promulgation of harassing language or behavior will be investigated and may lead to disciplinary and/or legal action.
Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016Abusive conduct includes all forms of harassment, abusive, ]and violent behavior. Abusive conduct includes all offenses which create an intimidating or offensive academic, work, or campus environment including but not limited to:
- engaging in, attempting any form of physical abuse injurious to oneself, to another or to a group of people;
- threatening, intimidating, humiliating, coercing, and/ or harassing in a manner which causes another person or group of people to be reasonably apprehensive;
- endangering the health or safety of oneself or another person;
- stalking;
- bullying;
- acts of bias;
- abuse or harassment involving the use of telecommunications, computer equipment, and/or social media;
- hazing as defined by Hazing Policy in the Student Handbook.
Student Handbook: Sexual Misconduct Policy
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2016Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature when (i) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s employment or education; (ii) submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as the basis for a decision affecting that person’s employment or education; or (iii) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a person’s employment or education, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment or educational environment, and has no legitimate relationship to the subject matter of a course or academic research. Sexual harassment also includes non-sexual harassment or discrimination of a person because of the person’s sex and/or gender, including harassment based on the person’s nonconformity with gender stereotypes.
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Free speech at Louisiana universities? It’s never too late to start: James Varney
December 30, 2012
by James Varney The Times-Picayune Here’s a New Year’s wish for 2013: this year, on the 222nd anniversary of the Bill of Rights’ ratification, Louisiana colleges and universities will honor the freedom of speech. Thus far, unfortunately, defending the First Amendment is not a resolution many Louisiana schools of higher learning have kept. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education grades schools nationwide in terms of their commitment to free speech, a thing that, in theory anyway, would need no protection in a genuine marketplace of ideas. In Louisiana, not one of 7 public and 1 private colleges and universities analyzed […]
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Southeastern Louisiana University Drops Security Fee Policy Following Fifth Circuit Ruling
August 4, 2010
Sara Lipka of the Chronicle of Higher Education reports today that Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) has shelved its security fee policy for non-university speakers after the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found it unconstitutional in a ruling issued last week. The case was Sonnier v. Crane, No. 09-30186 (5th Cir. July 27, 2010). SLU’s former policy granted administrators “sole discretion” in determining security needs for speaker events, and then permitted administrators to pass that financial burden on to the student group bringing the outside speaker to campus. However, this kind of fee system was found unconstitutional […]
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Federal Court of Appeals Rejects Unconstitutional Security Fee Policy, But Upholds University’s Limitations on Non-Student Speech
August 2, 2010
Last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals assessed the constitutionality of several speech policies at Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU). The court held that SLU’s policy concerning the imposition of security fees on demonstrators violated the First Amendment, sending a signal to universities that they cannot penalize controversial speakers for audience reaction. However, giving an unwarranted amount of deference to SLU, the Fifth Circuit upheld the school’s policies limiting the times and places where non-students can gather. This case arose when Jeremy Sonnier entered SLU’s campus with four others to express a religious message. Neither Sonnier nor his friends were […]
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