In your Feb. 12 editorial dismissing Lt. Gov. Dan Forests proposed Restore Campus Free Speech Act as unnecessary, you appear to be woefully uninformed on university speech codes and how they often violate students First Amendment rights.

You dont have to look far to find a concrete example. The nonpartisan Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has given UNC-Greensboro a red-light rating for policies that both clearly and substantially restrict freedom of speech.

UNCGs sexual harassment policy prohibits remarks about an individuals body or appearance and sexual jokes. Under this broadly written ban, complimenting a classmates new hairdo runs afoul of the rules.

In their zeal to prevent a legitimate problem, administrators have created one by taking what appears to be a boilerplate workplace policy on harassment and improperly applying it to a college campus. Students are not employees and enjoy the full exercise of their free-speech rights.

The N&R argues that universities are perfectly able to craft their own policies with input from faculty, staff and students. Its a sad day when a newspaper advocates for censorship by committee. If the press wont stand up for First Amendment rights, who will?

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Universities violate students' free speech | Letters To Editor ... - Greensboro News & Record