School Spotlight

University of Toledo

Location: Toledo, Ohio
Type: Public
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Speech Code Rating

University of Toledo has been given the speech code rating Yellow. Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application. Read more

  • Policy 3364 -50-02: Nondiscrimination

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    Harassment: Physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of an offensive, intimidating or threatening nature based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military or veteran status, genetic information, familial status, or politic... Read More

  • Residence Living Guide: Residents’ Rights and Responsibilities

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    All residential communities at The University of Toledo operate with the understanding that every student has both rights and responsibilities. It is the student’s responsibility to respect the rights of all community members regardless of backgrounds, beliefs, values or attitudes. The University of Toledo expects a... Read More

  • Policy 3364-30-04: Student Code of Conduct

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    (2) Sexual Misconduct … Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. It includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can occur as hostile environment or quid pro quo. (i) Hostile Environment Se... Read More

  • Residence Living Guide: Advertising and Solicitation

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    Obscene, racist and/or offensive materials directed toward an individual or group of individuals is not permitted for public display in residence halls, including the outside of residents’ room/suite doors. Residence Hall Staff reserve the right to remove any material deemed offensive. Read More

  • Student Organization Resources: Manual- Flyers

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    Student organizations can bring their flyers to the Office of Student Involvement & Leadership (Student Union, room 1532) for guidance on marketing best practices. Students can then post flyers on designated boards in the Student Union or bring them to OSIL for posting. … Your flyers may be posted on bu... Read More

  • Policy 3364-50-01: Title IX Policy

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    (2) Sexual Harassment: (a) Unwelcome conduct, (b) Determined by a reasonable person, (i) To be so severe, and (ii) Pervasive, and, (iii) Objectively offensive, (c) That it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education or employment program or activity. Read More

  • Policy 3364-5-14: Expression on Campus

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: September 11, 2021

    Any person or group may use, without prior notification, any publicly accessible outdoor area of any university campus except parking lots, garages and driveways. Federal, state and local laws will be enforced as applicable. The use of walkways or other common areas may not block the free passage of others nor imped... Read More

  • University of Toledo: Proposed Policy Requires Students and Faculty to Use Individuals’ ‘Chosen First Names’

    February 14, 2022

    In early 2022, the University of Toledo proposed a policy that would require students and faculty to use individuals’ “chosen first names” in all communications that occur on campus or in university programs and activities. FIRE wrote to UToledo on February 14, explaining that the policy is overbroad under the First Amendment because it is… Read more

  • University of Toledo: Police Enforce Unwritten Policy to Censor Political Protesters

    August 20, 2015

    On September 15, 2014, former presidential advisor Karl Rove spoke at UT as part of a university-sponsored lecture series, which was free and open to the public. A group of students and community members aimed to peacefully protest Rove’s appearance and prior involvement in President George W. Bush’s foreign policy by distributing literature outside the lecture venue and carrying signs of protest. Campus police, however, prevented from entering the event with their signs despite the students’ assurances that they would not be disruptive to other attendees and repeatedly failed to cite any UT policy justifying their censorship of the students’ protest. FIRE wrote to UT regarding its unconstitutional censorship of the protesters’ activity on October 10, 2014, having been alerted to the incident by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). In response, UT worked with the organizations to craft a new “Expression on Campus” policy, which took effect June 1, 2015, and includes protections for students’ right to peaceful protest and demonstration.

  • FIRE calls on University of Toledo to reject proposed policy requiring use of ‘chosen first names’

    February 24, 2022

    The University of Toledo is considering the adoption of a policy that would require students and faculty to use individuals’ “chosen first names” in all communications that occur on campus or in university programs and activities. In a letter sent to UToledo last week, FIRE explained that the First Amendment compels the university to reject… Read more

  • U. of Toledo Adopts Freedom of Expression Policy After Censoring Karl Rove Protesters

    August 20, 2015

    TOLEDO, Ohio, August 20, 2015—Incoming and returning students at the University of Toledo (UT) will be protected by a newly established policy on freedom of expression. The new policy comes almost a year after campus police officers suppressed the peaceful protest activities of students at a lecture by political strategist Karl Rove. Alongside the American-Arab… Read more

  • Students Create Free Speech Walls to Celebrate First Amendment

    September 27, 2013

    Students at colleges across the country are encouraging their peers to exercise their right to free speech by building “free speech walls” on their campuses—displays where students can write or draw whatever they want.  Free speech walls are a great way for students to share ideas in a public way. For example, student group Dorm… Read more