Free Speech on Campus

Free Speech on Campus

        College Campuses are an interesting playing field when it comes to the issue of Freedom of Speech. For starters, how much power do these institutions have when controlling the expression of their students and employees? The First Amendment protects citizens from government interference, but not from private interference. Thusly, private universities and colleges play by different rules. Private institutions, for example, are allowed to establish the advocacy of certain ideologies, philosophies, and religious standings as a basis for their institution. They can minimally control the speech and expression of their students and faculty without danger of a First Amendment lawsuit. 

       The article below highlights a few colleges and universities which are ranked among the worst for free speech repression. While a few censor the college newspapers, others have restrained students from protest. These are only a few considerably small controversies of private institutions regarding First Amendment rights,  but the issue is as relevant as ever. 

       As a student at a private university-- High Point University-- it is interesting to understand how much of my Free Speech rights are protected. The school has more of a say over my speech and expression than I probably realize. I feel that this aspect of our law is not well known by most people.; I was unaware of it before attending this university. Although I have not had an issue with my free speech to date, it will be interesting to observe if the situation ever arises where I witness the authority of this private institution taking precedence over that of the government.

https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/2019/02/free-speech-watchdog-issues-2019-citations-for-colleges-with-worse-free-speech-records/#more-352633