School Spotlight
Wright State University
Speech Code Rating
Division of Student Affairs: Bias-Related Incident Reporting
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: May 20, 2021A bias-related incident is any event directed toward an individual or group based upon actual or perceived identity characteristics or background, including but not limited to: race, sex (including gender identity/expression), color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military stat... Read MorePolicy No. 1270: Sex/Gender-Based Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct Policy- Sexual Misconduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 20, 2021Inappropriate sex/gender-based behavior that fails to meet the criteria under section 1270.4 but is nonconsensual and objectively offensive is not permitted. Such behaviors can result in disciplinary action under the policies, rules, procedures and professional standards for faculty/staff and students. Sexual Violen... Read MoreCampus Housing Policies: Bullying
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Bullying Policies
Last updated: May 20, 2021A. Residence Life and Housing has a zero-tolerance approach to any and all types of bullying. B. All reports of bullying will be investigated to the fullest potential. Students found responsible for bullying may be subject to current and future housing agreement cancellations among other sanctions as determined by t... Read MorePolicy No. 8001: Discrimination and Harassment Based on Protected Class
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 20, 2021Harassment: Unwelcome conduct that is severe, pervasive, or persistent and is made either a condition of working or learning or creates a hostile environment. Harassment is a form of discrimination. Read MoreOffice of Community Standards and Student Conduct: Code of Conduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 20, 2021All hostile, threatening, or intimidating behavior that by its very nature would be interpreted by a reasonable person to threaten or endanger the health, safety or well being of any person is contradictory to the University’s mission and therefore not acceptable. Examples of such behavior may include, but are... Read MorePolicy No. 1260: Demonstrations
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: May 20, 2021Any individual or group may use, in accordance with the procedures set forth in 1260.4 on any day of the week during daylight hours, any publicly accessible outdoor area of the university’s Fairborn and Lake campuses to collect signatures, distribute materials, and/or speak, as long as they do not disrupt the ... Read MorePolicy No. 1260: Demonstrations
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: May 20, 2021Wright State University recognizes the exercise of the rights of expression, affiliation, and peaceful assemblage. Wright State University students and personnel may express their views by demonstrating peacefully for concepts they wish to make known, and the university will make every reasonable effort to protect ... Read MorePolicy No. 1270: Sex/Gender-Based Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct Policy- Prohibited Behaviors under Title IX of the Civil Rights Act
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 20, 2021Sexual Harassment – unwelcome, sexual, sex-based and/or gender-based verbal, written, online and/or physical conduct that takes place on campus or as a part of a education program or activity within the United states and satisfies one or more of the following … Unwelcome Sexual Conduct determined by a re... Read More
Wright State University: Facebook Comments Restricted During Faculty Union Strike
January 24, 2020
After a January 2019 faculty strike by the Wright State University branch of the American Association of University Professors, FIRE issued a public records request to WSU for particular Facebook comment threads relating to the strike. In the hundreds of pages of HTML code that we received, FIRE discovered that WSU often censored posts unfavorable… Read more
Wright State University: Christian Group Banned from Campus
March 2, 2009
Wright State University has agreed to grant recognition to the Campus Bible Fellowship (CBF) for the 2009-2010 academic year, reversing its previous decision to rescind the CBF’s official club recognition because of its requirement that voting members “accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior,” among other faith-based requirements written into the club’s constitution. Despite the… Read more
Public records reveal Wright State used unconstitutional Facebook page policy to censor pro-union speech during historic faculty strike
January 24, 2020
Imagine this: You are a senior at Wright State University about to begin your final semester in January 2019. After returning from winter break, you learn that WSU’s faculty have voted to authorize a strike, which means that some of your classes are going to be combined, moved online, or taught by a substitute professor…. Read more
Wright State’s Threat to Cut Student Newspaper Funding Places ‘Mission’ Over Constitution
November 14, 2013
If you are a student at Wright State University—and especially if you are a student journalist—watch out: You might have just been unwittingly enlisted as a member of the university’s public relations corps, tasked with promoting your school’s “mission.” Administrators at the Ohio public university recently threatened to cut funding to its student newspaper, The Guardian,… Read more
Rights in the News: Victories at UCSB and Wright State as Pressure on Bucknell Intensifies
June 26, 2009
FIRE’s victories for religious liberty and academic freedom at Wright State University and the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) were in the news this week, while Bucknell University’s continuing refusal to acknowledge its wrongful and discriminatory treatment of the Bucknell University Conservatives Club has only intensified the media spotlight it is trying to avoid. As… Read more
‘Dayton Daily News’ on FIRE’s Victory at Wright State
June 23, 2009
Dave Larsen of the Dayton Daily News discusses FIRE’s victory for religious liberty at Wright State University on the paper’s "On Campus" blog today. Wright State initially denied re-recognition to the Campus Bible Fellowship for 2008-2009 on the ground that its faith-based requirements for voting members violated university nondiscrimination policies, but Wright State finally relented… Read more
Victory for Religious Liberty at Wright State University: Christian Group Regains Recognition
June 22, 2009
Today’s press release announces another victory for religious liberty and freedom of conscience on campus. Late last week, we learned that Wright State University was finally granting full recognition to a Christian student group that wanted to limit voting membership to others who shared the group’s deeply held beliefs. The group, Christian Bible Fellowship (CBF),… Read more
Victory for Religious Liberty at Wright State University
June 22, 2009
DAYTON, Ohio, June 22, 2009—After banning a Christian student organization from meeting on campus, Wright State University has reversed course and granted recognition to the Campus Bible Fellowship (CBF) for the 2009–2010 academic year. Despite the group’s 30-year history as a registered student organization, Wright State withdrew recognition from the Campus Bible Fellowship in January… Read more
Greg at Wright State University to Speak on Religious Liberty and Student Group Rights
May 14, 2009
FIRE President Greg Lukianoff is at Wright State University today, where he is scheduled to speak as part of a conference titled "Legal Issues in Higher Education: When Policy and Religious Freedom Collide." The event is hosted by the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education in partnership with Wright State. Greg appears at the event… Read more
Rights in the News: FIRE’s Wright State Case Hits Front Pages
March 7, 2009
Nationwide reaction to the news of Wright State University‘s unconstitutional denial of recognition to the Campus Bible Fellowship, a Christian student organization, has been swift and furious, as readers who have been following The Torch throughout the week are well aware. Along with continued coverage in The Christian Post and an excellent article in WorldNetDaily,… Read more
Wright State Case is FoxNews.com Featured Story
March 3, 2009
FIRE’s case at Wright State is big news today as a featured story, under the heading "We’re Good for Now," on FoxNews.com! (Here’s the permanent link for when it’s moved off the front page.) Wright State’s behavior in banning the Campus Bible Fellowship has indeed been outrageous, and it’s always good to see the media… Read more
Wright State Sets Smokescreen in Campus Bible Fellowship Case
March 3, 2009
Developments are coming fast in the Wright State University case that FIRE took public yesterday. Mere hours after FIRE sent out its press release on the case, Wright State began sending the following statement to journalists making inquiries: "Campus Bible Fellowship is a recognized student organization at Wright State. We do not discriminate on the… Read more
Wright State University Bans Christian Group from Campus
March 2, 2009
Today’s FIRE press release comes out of Dayton, Ohio, where Wright State University has banned a Christian group, the Campus Bible Fellowship, from meeting on campus because of the group’s constitutional requirements for voting members. Here’s an excerpt that explains how this all started: After more than 30 years of existence as a registered student… Read more
Wright State University Bans Christian Group from Campus
March 2, 2009
DAYTON, Ohio, March 2, 2009—Wright State University has banned a Christian group from meeting on campus because of its requirement that voting members be Christian and its refusal to accept “nondiscrimination” language that would eliminate faith-based standards for its voting members. In response, the Campus Bible Fellowship has turned to the Foundation for Individual Rights… Read more