Friday, February 3, 2006

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education(FIRE) has named Jacksonville State's speech code its Speech Code of the Month.
The first paragraph is below (bold and italics are mine).

Now FIRE has learned that Jacksonville State University (JSU) in Jacksonville,
Alabama, maintains one of the most illegally overbroad—not to
mention simply inane—speech codes that we have ever seen. The student
code of conduct
at JSU provides that “No student shall threaten, offend, or
degrade anyone on University owned or operated property.” Got that? No student
shall offend anyone on University property. The only way for students to ensure
they are in compliance with this policy is to remain in complete silence.
Otherwise, how could a student possibly know whether an opinion she wants to
express might offend one of the 9,000 other students
at JSU
, each of whom has his or her own particular sensitivities?

How does your school rank?