Pete Guither writes, apropos my post about the UCLA speech code that prohibits any references, direct or indirect, to alcohol, illegal drugs, and crime in posters distributed in campus housing:
Thought you might like to know that I’ve been dealing with a similar situation at Illinois State University. Illinois State’s policy is only slightly less poorly worded than UCLA’s:
“Advertising of University sponsored activities, whether held on or off-campus, which include alcohol or other drugs as a part of the promotion of the event is prohibited.”
I am faculty advisor for a registered student organization: Mobilizing Activists and Students for Hemp. They were denied permission to post flyers for their Hempfest (bands, speakers, and info) based on the use of the word “hemp” on the flyer and the inclusion of a hand drawn picture of a hemp leaf.
We appealed the decision and the appeal was denied by the Director of Housing.
I’m now taking it to the University President, University Counsel, and Academic Senate on the grounds that the denial is an unconstitutional infringement on the speech of students.
— Documents are online at http://www.thelivingcanvas.com/mash/
Here’s the offending poster:
The school’s response was that the University Housing Services policy prohibits (among other things) any “references to alcohol, tobacco and/or illicit drugs,” and the picture of a marijuana leaf and the title “Hempfest” violates this policy. (The e-mail that I quote above quotes another policy, which — according to the school — the flyer also violated.) Obviously, such a policy would literally prohibit a “Just Say No to Drugs” event, since that’s a reference to illicit drugs; likewise, as the group’s legal argument (available at the site cited above) points out, for a support group for alcoholics. And if the policy isn’t applied to such events, that would only show that in reality the policy is viewpoint-based — messages that drugs are bad would be OK, but messages that drugs really aren’t so bad wouldn’t be.
Of course, if the school’s concern is that there’ll be drugs at the event, they should welcome such flyers, since then they could just send in the school cops and bust it. Sounds to me like their concern is that such flyers might make people think that marijuana isn’t so bad — which is to say, might send a political, social, or medical message that the university disapproves of.
This is quite likely unconstitutional, and pretty clearly a violation of students’ academic freedom.
Comments are closed.