October 26, 2008

Shippensburg U. of Pennsylvania Settles Free-Speech Case

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania has settled a lawsuit brought by three members of a Christian student group who said the university had prevented them from expressing their views on race, gender, and religion “from a Biblical viewpoint.” The institution agreed to change some wording in its campus code of conduct and to replace its existing diversity statement with a statement about the university’s commitment to educational diversity, The Sentinel, a newspaper in Carlisle, Pa., reported.

A lawyer for the students, who were members of a group called Christian Fellowship, contended that Shippensburg’s policies on free speech had created an “atmosphere of fear and hostility.” The lawsuit also alleged that the university had reinstated policies it had agreed to revise or drop as part of a 2004 legal settlement over its code of conduct. The earlier settlement, with a national free-speech advocacy group, came after a federal judge found that, although well-meaning, portions of Shippensburg’s policies probably were unconstitutional.

In a statement issued on Thursday, after the settlement was announced, William N. Ruud, the university’s president, said Shippensburg had complied with the terms of the 2004 agreement. However, he said, a student-produced handbook contained “incorrect material” in its issue for the 2007-8 academic year. Those problems have been corrected, he said.

The students were supported in their lawsuit by the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative, Christian legal-advocacy group. —Karin Fischer

Comments

1. Another nail in the coffin of campus speech codes. Can anybody think of an example where one of these things at a public university has survived a legal challenge? I confess I can’t.

   — Gustave    Oct 27, 07:26 AM    #

2. Sue …Sue…and Sue again…..

   ever wonder about America’s high cost of education….

   we must be everything to everyone…and if your view differs and you don’t like the answer…then just sue….

   it works with employees and lets take it to the classroom…

   I guess going to our universities is a ‘right’ when I thought it is by choice and if I didn’t like it I would leave…

   guess not..

   Thank God (oops can’t really use that term) for lawyers to help keep us all on the straidght and narrow….

   Perfect places and perfect people…

   — Jim    Oct 27, 07:50 AM    #

3. With one group trying to eliminate the freedom of speech, and the other using freedom of religion as a club, its a shame they can’t both lose the case.

   — Prof Smith    Oct 27, 09:11 AM    #

4. The problem with Christians, Muslims, and Jews espousing freely their points of view is that they cite their “God” as the basis of their beliefs, and then easily cross into demonization of those who might hold contrary views. Religion has absolutely no place in the marketplace of rational ideas and should be blocked at all entrances. It has as much validity as determining the winner of the World Series by divination instead of the game of baseball.

   — Dee Dee    Oct 27, 12:12 PM    #

5. “The problem with Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians espousing freely their points of view is that they cite their ‘values’ as the basis of their beliefs, and then easily cross into demonization of those who might hold contrary views.”

   [Sorry…couldn’t resist!]

   — Gustave    Oct 27, 12:48 PM    #

6. I’m a little confused how Prof Smith thinks that the Christian students were not on the free speech side. Speech codes don’t protect free speech. And as to lawyers, Jim, I generally have similar misgivings, but when they come for my free speech, I sure as hell am going to hire a lawyer.

   — Rickjp    Oct 28, 12:01 PM    #

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