Category Archives: Free Speech

There has been a lot in the media recently about speakers with a conservative message who were scheduled to speak on college campuses but through one action or another were not able to speak. Whether these speakers were cancelled by the administration or whether they were not allowed to speak due to large (and sometimes violent) protests has led to a widespread belief that conservative voices are not tolerated on college campuses. While I understand why some speakers have been cancelled, often for safety reasons, I think cancelling speakers who were invited is a mistake. Let them speak; challenge their statements; but, dont silence their voices.

This is not a new issue. While serving as the Provost at Luzerne County Community College, I addressed a legislative subcommittee on the issue of conservative voices on campus. I stated then (12 years ago), as I state now, all voices are welcome on college campuses. However, with the current climate polarized positions, the tendency for people to act out (conservative or liberal) with violence and the seemly lack of meaningful dialogue across the country, the issue is being exacerbated for everyone. The current climate adds a heightened concern for public safety to the mix of speakers on campus, liberal or conservative.

There are those who argue that college campuses are bastions of liberal thinking attempting to indoctrinate liberal viewpoints in all students. I respectfully disagree. Do more people who work on a college campus lean to the left of the political spectrum? Most probably. I think two factors lead to that conclusion. First, those with more liberal leanings tend to be drawn to careers that are designed to help others. College education is indeed a career of helping others. Second, students, for the most part, are young. Historically, younger folks tend to be more liberal; conservative views tend to develop as we get older. Does that mean conservative voices cannot be heard in our classrooms, in our lecture halls, in public speeches or in community events? Of course not.

The faculty and staff that I have known at each of the colleges and universities where I have worked, welcome students opinions in class. They are thrilled when students participate in discussions and express their views on either side of the topic of the day. However, faculty will question any student as to how they reached their conclusion. What data did they use? How do they know the data is factual? Did they cherry pick data or conduct a reasonable review of both sides of the issue? Today, far too many people dig in their heels on an issue based on a headline or something they read on Facebook. We are academic institutions and we must teach students to use facts, data and reasoning to reach whatever conclusion that they reach. It is our job.

It is my belief that colleges, like Fulton-Montgomery Community College have the responsibility to bring discussions of current issues to our campuses; and, to do so with a balance voice of both sides of any issue. This is particularly important in rural regions, such as the one FM serves, as the college may be the only place to have such discussions in an academic and balanced manner. Given todays climate, I believe that it is important to discuss these issues as a panel and not through a single speaker. Whether the voice is conservative or liberal, we need to demonstrate to our students, and our public, that fair and measured discussions or debates are not only possible, also meaningful.

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Free Speech on Campus - HuffPost

By U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Q: Why did you conduct a hearing to examine free speech on college campuses?

A: On July 4, Americans will celebrate 241 years of independence. We will celebrate our nations sovereignty and cherished individual freedoms that have been passed down from one generation to the next. As Americans, we are endowed with unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As citizens, we are challengedto protect and defend the sacred blessings of freedom enshrined in our nations founding charters. During tumultuous periods of war and social upheaval, these founding principles have served as an unbending arc to keep America united,from the nations Civil War and civil rights movement to the Vietnam War and 21st century terrorism. Through it all, the U.S. Constitution enshrines the protection of freedom, liberty and justice for all.

The five freedoms of the First Amendment are arguably the most well-known among Americans of all ages and walks of life: freedom of religion; freedom of speech; freedom of the press; freedom to assemble peaceably; and, freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances. Upholding this legacy and heritage of freedom for posterity depends on the next generation to stand up for and champion the free flow of ideas. Indeed, a consequential dissent written by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes one year after World War I heralds the marketplace of ideas that has influenced the protections of the First Amendment for decades. Opendialogue and diversity of thought are vital hallmarks of self-government.

Throughout my public service representing Iowa in the United States Senate, I prioritize constituent dialogue by holding meetings with Iowans in every county, every year. Thats why I view efforts to thwart free speech on college campuses as a red flag to self-government. The censorship of ideas on college campuses has a chilling effect on a students ability to digest, analyze and question opposing opinions.

Banning speakers from campus to prevent certain messages from being heard does a disservice to the studentbody. It assaults the First Amendment. Institutions of higher learning should not be in the business of shielding students from opposing views. It poisons the well of democracy and erodes constitutional protections that generations of men and women in uniform have sacrificed life and limb to protect.

Q: What is your takeaway from the Judiciary Committee hearing?

A: We heard from seven witnesses who shared their views about the state of free speech on college campuses. The good news is not all college campuses are censoring free speech or restricting who comes to speak to the student body. However, two college students reported on free speech zones and other measures that they say results in intolerance and even fosters violence towards opposing viewpoints.

In my opening statement, I referred to Northwestern Universitys president who supports safe spaces for students to avoid uncomfortable debates. Carving out free speech zones and safe spaces creates a disconnect on college campuses that unplugs young adults from reality. Colleges need to help open their eyes to the world, not muddy the lens through which they see it. Restricting the free flow of ideas at an institution of learning flunks common sense. It fosters a conformist culture that will shrink mindful learning and stunt schools of thought. Expanding tolerance for differing viewpoints comes from exposure to dialogue, not censorship. College administrators who testified raised concerns about limited resources for maintaining campus security and student safety amid recent incidents of violent protests.

Certainly, campus safety is critical to families who send their kids off to college and a critical responsibility of a college administration. However, using it as a scapegoat to undercut the First Amendment is a flawed argument. Its very troubling that some college administrators are discriminating against speakers based on their points of view and political ideology. America does not subscribe to one single political orthodoxy. And while its no secret that prevailing political orthodoxy among many universities leans to the liberal end of the political spectrum, its unacceptable to prevent students from exploring the free flow of ideas and nurturing their ability to compromise and negotiate differences of opinion with civility and respect.

Polarization and gridlock in Washington wont ever improve if the next generation is indoctrinated to shut down free speech and shut out opposing views. Even liberal university administrators agree that conservative views are often unwelcome on campus. A provost from Stanford University has said, There is growing intolerance at universities ... a political one-sidedness that is the antithesis of what universities should stand for.

Its promising that not all schools are adopting the censorship approach. America would be better served if more colleges adopted the University of Chicagos policy. It expressly prohibits obstructing or otherwise interfering with the freedom of others to express views they reject or even loathe. Instead, it calls for counter-speech and peaceful protest to express disagreement.

My takeaway from the hearing confirms what I have long practiced in public office. Ill continue listening to whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing and continue seeking input from Iowans to bring their views to bear at the policymaking tables in Congress. America is better off when all voices have the freedom to be heard.

Continued here:
Q & A : Free Speech 101 | Newton Daily News - Newton Daily News

Bill C-16, which recently received Royal Assent and will soon become law, is the most recent bill to threaten free speech and to mandate that individuals adopt a social constructionist philosophy of gender. Those who refuse to use gender neutral pronouns such as they or zi and zir, or who oppose the notion that gender is subjectively determined, may find themselves facing the full force of federal law. The federal statute is akin to existing provincial laws in Canada and municipal laws in the United States, and demonstrates a disconcerting turn toward compelling speech and ideology. Laws that protect people from discrimination need not infringe on free speech or individual rights. However, Bill C-16 risks crossing the line into coerced speech for favored groups at everyones expense.

The bill itself looks quite innocuous. It makes three alterations to federal law. Two are amendments to the Criminal Code to include "gender identity" and "gender expression" to the groups protected from hate propaganda, and to include gender identity and gender expression as an aggravating factor. That is, if a crime is committed against a transgender individual and there is evidence that the crime was done due to the individuals gender identity or gender expression, the defendant may be given a harsher sentence.

Serious restrictions on free speech come with changes to the Human Rights Act to include gender identity and gender expression to the list of groups protected from discrimination. Previously, discriminatory practices did not include failure to refer to an individual by their preferred name. Rather, they included denying someone public employment due to their race, gender, sexual orientation.

Now, particular courts may find that individuals who do not use preferred pronouns guilty of discrimination as well. Precise grounds for discrimination are not laid out in the legislation. Rather, according to Canadas Department of Justice, With very few exceptions, grounds of discrimination are not defined in legislation but are left to courts, tribunals, and commissions to interpret and explain, based on their detailed experience with particular cases. An individual accused of discrimination can be named in a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and then be tried and fined by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

This is not at all far-fetched, given the precedent of the provincial courts where this kind of legislation already exists. Even supporters of Bill C-16 have been forthcoming about this possible interpretation of discrimination by the Human Rights Tribunal. University of Toronto law professor Brenda Cossman wrote, Non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression may very well be interpreted by the courts in the future to include the right to be identified by a persons self-identified pronoun.

Theryn Meyer, a political commentator on YouTube who focuses on transgender issues, critiqued Bill C-16 for claiming to benefit transgender individuals while infringing on everyones right to free speechtransgender people included. She noted that transgender individuals are already protected under the laws against discrimination, which do not infringe anyones rights.

Everyone who cares about free speech should be concerned that this prima facie benevolent legislation actually harms everyone who wishes to practice their right to free speech.

Provincial law in Canada has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression for years. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) added "gender identity" and "gender expression" to the listed of protected groups in 2012. The OHRC defined gender identity as "each person's internal and individual experience of gender. It is their sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A persons gender identity may be the same as or different from their birth-assigned sex.

As with the federal law, the problem arises with the definition of discrimination: "Refusing to refer to a trans person by their chosen name and a personal pronoun that matches their gender identity, or purposely misgendering (using a pronoun that is not ones preferred pronoun), will likely be discrimination when it takes place in a social area covered by the Code, including employment, housing and services like education."

Individuals who refuse to use made-up words, who refuse to endorse a social constructionist philosophy of gender, who refuse compelled speech and ideology can be brought before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and severely fined. Professor Jordan Peterson, a University of Toronto psychologist, came under fire last fall when he made a YouTube video saying that he would not use made-up gender pronouns. The University sent him a letter requesting that he stop making such videos because he was expressing an intent to violate the law. Ontario human rights commissioner Renu Mandhane suggested that Peterson might be liable under the law, but no action has been taken.

This kind of legislation has already made its way into the United States. In the District of Columbia, the Office of Human Rights, which enforces the D.C. Human Rights Act, prevents discrimination on the basis of gender identity and has recently stated that Deliberately misusing a persons preferred name or pronoun may be considered unlawful harassment.

In New York City, the Commission on Human Rights Legal Enforcement requires employers and covered entities to use an individuals preferred name, pronoun and title (e.g., Ms./Mrs.) regardless of the individuals sex assigned at birth, anatomy, gender, medical history, appearance, or the sex indicated on the individuals identification. The legislation states, Some transgender and gender non-conforming people prefer to use pronouns other than he/him/his or she/her/hers, such as they/them/theirs or ze/hir. Failure to comply can result in, civil penalties up to $125,000 for violations, and up to $250,000 for violations that are the result of willful, wanton, or malicious conduct.

If each person is allowed free speech, then surely each person should be able to decide for him or herself whether or not to act out a radical social constructionist philosophy of gender. However, each of these laws, regardless of their intent to benefit transgender people, infringes individual liberty. They require not only that people use government approved speech, but that they adhere to a government-approved ideology. They are coercive intrusions by the government into the speech of individuals. Protections for transgender individuals can and should be accomplished without infringing on everyones rights.

Max Diamond is a writer and editor in New York.

See original here:
Free Speech for Zi - The Weekly Standard

Protesters attending the free speech rally. (WTOP/Liz Anderson)

WASHINGTON At the National Mall Sunday afternoon, a few hundred people gathered with signs and flags to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Both rally groups gathered near the Lincoln Memorial; one in support of free speech, the other just steps away to rally against hate speech.

Were not going to be replaced, one speaker told the audience gathered near the reflecting pool for the free speech rally. This was our country, the founding fathers objectively founded this country for white people.

There were a variety of ideological representations at the gathering including Ariel Kohane, who held Jews for Trump signs. Kohane said he traveled from Manhattans Upper West Side for the rally.

I definitely think that the left is trying to smother free speech. We on the right definitely promote it, Kohane told WTOP.

The free speech speaker lineup included controversial white nationalist Richard Spencer.

At the counter rally staged by D.C. Unite Against Hate, attendees said they felt it necessary to also make their voices heard.

The U.S. is very progressive as of right now. I think were moving in the right direction. But of course there are some people who just are living in the past, said Rose, who is from D.C. but now lives in Rockville, Maryland.

I think we have to come out when the far right is demonstrating and the racist white supremacists are out here, said John van Kamp of Arlington, Virginia.

But everyone at the free speech rally didnt agree with everything they heard.

I think that shows I stand up 100 percent for freedom of speech, said Irma Hinojosa, a rally speaker who says shes taken lots of flack because she is a Donald Trump supporter.

Others gave a listening ear at that rally, not to show their support for all the rhetoric, but to understand other points of view and try and see what people are concerned about and what their grievances are with other political parties and ideologies, said William, a student studying government at Georgetown University.

Meanwhile, Yale University student Sidney Daniels attended the counter rally because there are people in this country, Americans, fellow citizens, who dont believe in my right to exist and who dont believe in my right to have rights, she told WTOP.

Now that Trump is in office, lots of people have been given license to do and say things that they wouldnt have said before. Things that werent previously (socially) acceptable have become socially acceptable, said Daniels. Because of that, I think its important to have counter protests in order to demonstrate that Black lives matter, that women matter, that all people matter.

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Steps from Lincoln Memorial: Dueling rallies for free speech, against ... - WTOP

Campus Free Speech Act moves on to Senate.

Despite Democratic arguments, a Republican-led bill that punishes student protests at the University of Wisconsin is moving on.

The Campus Free Speech Act passed the Assembly by a 61-36 vote. It moves to the Senate, where a similar bill was already introduced.

A UW System student who interrupts a speaker twice would constitute suspension for a semester, while a third offense would mean expulsion.

"We don't allow free speech here like we should, as people in the gallery can't sit quietly and protest with a piece of tape across their mouths," Representative Jill Billings, D-La Crosse, said of the Capitol rotunda. "I don't think we are the role model on free speech - that we should be legislating what should happen on campus."

Billings pointed out that it's not even a reoccurring problem.

"I'm not happy when speakers are shouted down on campus," she admitted. "The fact is, that doesn't happen all the time. A few cases have been cherry picked, mostly outside of Wisconsin."

Lead sponsor Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, said. "Around the country we've had situations that have gotten to the point of demonstration shout downs and we do not want to get to that point in Wisconsin."

Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, pointed out that not one speaker has ever been silenced from a protester on a UW campus, and said the bill"bags and gags" First Amendment rights. She added that the irony that "Assembly Bill 299 (that) "protects" free speech by restricting it for our UW System students.

Taylor went on to argue Republican lawmakers keep restricting opposing speech at the Capitol since assuming control. They've restricted protesters from gathering at the rotunda, a public forum where people are entitled to the most heightened protection on speech.

Those who run the show have shown hostility to free speech and hostility to the university, Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee, added.

Billings was also upset that UW System president Ray Cross was not spoken to.

"I don't think it's by accident that this bill came out for the public hearing during finals week," Billings pointed out. "I'm disappointed president Cross was not consulted."

Go here to see the original:
Democrats speak out, as Republican bill aimed at silencing UW protesters passes - La Crosse's NewsTalk 1410AM 92.3FM

The Nonprofit Quarterly (registration)

Free Speech Just Got Freer The Nonprofit Quarterly (registration) If you are a free speech advocate, last week was arguably a very good one. Two recent Supreme Court decisions rejected efforts to limit speech and hinder access to communication tools. But in doing so, they may have made our society nastier and more ... SCOTUS Won't Disparage Free SpeechPalisades Hudson Financial Group Yes, hate speech is free speechSt. George Daily Spectrum Editorial: High court rulings a welcome defense of free speechReading Eagle O'Dwyer's PR News -MacIverInstitute -mySanAntonio.com -Supreme Court of the United States all 111 news articles »

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Free Speech Just Got Freer - The Nonprofit Quarterly (registration)

Theres a tension so deep in how we think about free expression, it should rightly be called a paradox.

On the one hand, regardless of ideology, artists and writers almost unanimously insist that they do what they do to change minds. But the same artistes, auteurs and opiners recoil in horror when anyone suggests that they might be responsible for inspiring bad deeds.

Hollywood, the music industry, journalism, political ideologies, even the Confederate flag: Each takes its turn in the dock when some madman or fool does something terrible.

The arguments against free speech are stacked and waiting for these moments like weapons in a gladiatorial armory.

Hollywood activists blame the toxic rhetoric of right-wing talk radio or the tea party for this crime, the National Rifle Association blames Hollywood for that atrocity. Liberals decry the toxic rhetoric of the right, conservatives blame the toxic rhetoric of the left.

When attacked again heedless of ideology or consistency the gladiators instantly trade weapons. The finger-pointers of five minutes ago suddenly wax righteous in their indignation that mere expression rather, their expression should be blamed. Many of the same liberals who pounded soapboxes into pulp at the very thought of labeling record albums with violent-lyrics warnings instantly insisted that Sarah Palin had Rep. Gabrielle Giffords blood on her hands. Many of the conservatives who spewed hot fire at the suggestion that they had any culpability in an abortion clinic bombing, gleefully insisted that Sen. Bernie Sanders is partially to blame for Rep. Steve Scalises fight with death.

And this is where the paradox starts to come into view: Everyone has a point.

The blame for violent acts lies with the people who commit them, and with those who explicitly and seriously call for violence, Dan McLaughlin, my National Review colleague, wrote in the Los Angeles Times last week. People who just use overheated political rhetoric, or who happen to share the gunmans opinions, should be nowhere on the list.

As a matter of law, I agree with this entirely. But as a matter of culture, its more complicated.

I have always thought it absurd to claim that expression cannot lead people to do bad things, precisely because it is so obvious that expression can lead people to do good things. According to legend, Abraham Lincoln told Harriet Beecher Stowe, So youre the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war. Should we mock Lincoln for saying something ridiculous?

As Irving Kristol once put it, If you believe that no one was ever corrupted by a book, you have also to believe that no one was ever improved by a book. You have to believe, in other words, that art is morally trivial and that education is morally irrelevant.

Ironically, free speech was born in an attempt to stop killing. It has its roots in freedom of conscience. Before the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the common practice was that the rulers religion determined their subjects faith too. Religious dissent was not only heresy but a kind of treason. After Westphalia, exhaustion with religion-motivated bloodshed created space for toleration. As the historian C.V. Wedgwood put it, the West had begun to understand the essential futility of putting the beliefs of the mind to the judgment of the sword.

This didnt mean that Protestants instantly stopped hating Catholics or vice versa. Nor did it mean that the more ecumenical hatred of Jews vanished. What it did mean is that it was no longer acceptable to kill people simply for what they believed or said.

But words still mattered. Art still moved people. And the law is not the full and final measure of morality. Hence the paradox: In a free society, people have a moral responsibility for what they say, while at the same time a free society requires legal responsibility only for what they actually do.

Read more:
Jonah Goldberg: Free speech isn't always a tool of virtue | Ap ... - Arizona Daily Star

This week, Germany launched a major crackdown on free expression. In 36 simultaneous raids across multiple states, German authorities sought evidence for speech-related criminal offenses based on things people posted on the Internet.

Most of these offenses come under incitement to racial hatred laws. That might sound good to some, but it isn't.

There's a major difference between U.S. and German incitement laws. U.S. law at federal and state levels criminalizes only incitement that is designed to foster imminent unlawful violence. The incitement must also be likely to lead to unlawful violence. This three-prong test means that saying "I [expletive] hate [racial/religious/social group] and think they should all burn," for example, is not illegal in America.

And Americans take that for granted. But such postings would be illegal in Germany and in much of Europe.

In the U.K., the Public Order Act mandates that, "A person is guilty of an offense if he uses threatening [or abusive] words or behavior ... within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby." Importantly, proven intention and actual harm are not necessary for conviction. It is enough that the speech possibly alarmed someone nearby.

Consider what impact that law might have on the willingness of individuals to discuss sensitive issues like immigration, or abortion, or terrorism? It is a recipe for chilled speech.

Amazingly, however, Germany takes things further, proactively punishing speech that might feasibly upset someone on the Internet. Which, if you've ever been on the Internet, could be said of almost everything on it.

The head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Mnch, explained the government's position. "Our free society must not allow a climate of fear, threat, criminal violence and violence either on the street or on the Internet." Again, think carefully on those words. Germany seeks not simply to punish offending speech, but to "not allow a climate" of offense.

To accomplish this objective, Germany isn't simply arresting speakers, it is punishing the platforms of speech. As Germany's Justice Minister, Heiko Mass, put it, "We need to increase the pressure on social media companies." Mass is referring to a draft law that would impose $56 million fines on Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies, if they fail to remove offending speech within a short period. As I've noted, similar legislation is also being considered in Britain.

There's an immensely pathetic quality to this authoritarianism. Such coordinated efficiency and absent restraint raises troubling parallels with another era in German history.

Regardless, Americans should be grateful that the founding fathers chose a different approach. First, our deference to the freedom of individuals is the best moral, social, and political approach to offensive speech. By allowing those with grievances to articulate their beliefs, however unpleasant those views might be, we trust in the debate of different ideas. We know that ultimately, the best ideas will triumph. Moreover, by refusing to ban viewpoints that are perceivably upsetting or intolerant, we ensure that our policy debate is checked by an insidious chilling of speech.

What are Twitter and Facebook to do? I would suggest they threaten to withdraw from Germany. When German voters see that, they might be more offended by their government's policy than by what's said on social media.

See the article here:
Why Germany wages war on free speech - Washington Examiner

Wisconsin Democrats accused their Republican counterparts of hypocrisy Thursday in a desperate bid to halt the progress of a bill to protect free speech on college campuses.

According to The Journal Times, Democratic state lawmakers leveled the charges in an unsuccessful effort to prevent passage of the Campus Free Speech Act by the State Assembly, contending that GOP legislators have shown hostility to free speech in other contexts, and are merely attempting to silence liberal students at the states public colleges and universities.

"If you man-terrupt me in feminism class, I can sue you?"

The bill, which would require schools to penalize students who disrupt free speech on campus, nonetheless passed in a 61-36 vote, and now heads to the Senate.

[RELATED: Four more states join fight to protect free speech on campus]

Those who run the show have shown hostility to free speech and hostility to the university, declared Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, citing recent GOP actions to cut funding for the University of Wisconsin system and prohibit protesters from holding signs in the Capitol rotunda.

Democratic Rep. Chris Taylor also condemned conservative colleagues as hypocrites for having previously criticized liberal hegemony at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, saying legislative rebukes related to the content of courses and political affiliations of guest speakers could influence how professors present material.

In December, Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the UW-Madison administration calling for the cancellation of a class on The Problem of Whiteness, and the following month they denounced an anti-masculinity program that they said declares war on men.

[RELATED: UW program explores dangers of masculinity]

The author of the Campus Free Speech Act, Republican Rep. Jesse Kremer, dismissed objections that the bill is intended to shut down liberal speech, asserting that the legislation was developed in response to requests for action from students and regents in the UW System.

In a press release provided toCampus Reform,Kremer pushed back even more forcefully, describing a "mob mentality" that leads to "conservative groups being shouted down by their liberal counterparts" at UW-Madison.

Repeatedly, weve seen students shouted down and silenced by those in disagreement and unconstitutional policies that violate the First Amendment on the books at the UW," Kremer said. "The Campus Free Speech Act will end the unconstitutional 'hecklers veto' and create a behavioral shift on campus."

Taylor also claimed that she has personally experienced Republican restrictions on speech, accusing her colleagues of mansplaining for suggesting that she ask fewer questions in committee hearings, as well as violating the First Amendment by refusing to provide state funding for her to attend a conference on reproductive rights.

[RELATED:Liberals mock UW free speech center as 'GOP safe space']

Democratic Rep. Katrina Shankland concurred that female legislators are constantly interrupted, and sought to provoke discomfort among the bills supporters by suggesting that mansplaining on campus could constitute a violation of its provisions.

Under this bill, if two people get really tired of this person in political science speaking up every day, and asking good questions, could they decide to report them? Shankland asked. If you man-terrupt me in feminism class, I can sue you?

The bill does require that administrators investigate any incident in which two or more people accuse someone of disrupting free expression, but also includes caveats allowing professors to maintain order in the classroom and guaranteeing that those who stand accused of disruptive activity are entitled to a full disciplinary hearing, complete with the ability to retain legal representation, confront and call witnesses, and even appeal the results.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @MrDanJackson

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Wisconsin Dems complain free speech bill targets UW-Madison - Campus Reform

June 23, 2017 11:41 PM By Lemor Abrams

DAVIS (CBS13) It was one of the wildest political showdowns ever at UC Davis; angry students silencing conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos after a standoff between protesters and police officers.

From what I saw the only violence was from the protesters not from Milo, said Graham Everett.

Graham Everett watched from a distance. The international relations major doesnt care for the controversial speaker either but believes in his right to free speech.

I think theres plenty of ways to express yourself that doesnt infringe on someone elses right to free speech, he said. UC Davis officials agree.

Six months after the protest, a group consisting of students and law professors is out with recommendations to ensure future speakers can go on unhindered.

Among them:

That sounds like an overreaction, said another student.

For this grad student, the school should think twice about allowing speech that may incite violence.

I dont think we should have just unregulated speech, said William Swanson.

But school administrators want to make sure even the most controversial speakers are given a platform, especially in a public university.

What kind of institution doesnt allow freedom of thought? said Everett.

The interim Chancellor has asked the schools general counsel to review the recommendations before replacing the current free speech policy.

Twitter: @LemorAbrams Email: labrams@kovr.com Facebook Lemor Abrams is an Emmy-Award winning news reporter, who has interviewed thousands of people, from key political figures to everyday folks who impact their community. Her very f...

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In Wake Of Protests, UC Davis Considering New Free Speech Policy - CBS Sacramento