Article from Reason by Robby Soave.
A judge has dealt a significant blow to the free speech rights of students at Syracuse University, a private school in New York.
James McClusky, a justice of the New York Supreme Court 5th Judicial District, ruled earlier this month that Syracuse may suspend several members of the Theta Tau fraternity for private, offensive behavior—despite the promise, contained within the university’s student code of conduct, that students generally have the right to express themselves freely.
Syracuse first took action against the students in June after video footage of them privately roasting one another—making immature and demeaning but satirical comments about each other—were leaked to the student newspaper. The language used by the students was offensive, and Syracuse’s administration was right to describe it as “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities.” Note, though, that this was a private, comedic event, and the hurtful language was aimed at willing participants.
In any event, the student code of conduct states that students “have the right to express themselves freely on any subject provided they do so in a manner that does not violate the code.” Administrators characterized the speech as harassing and threatening, and thus outside the protection of the code.
Read the entire article at Reason.
Image Credit:Â By St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
wpDiscuz
Next stop: Thought Police.
yeah…. that occurred a couple of decades back.
It’s already here and called “hate crime”.
What ever happened to keeping your nose OUT of other people’s business?!
This is not a first amendment case. It is a privet school, they can make whatever rules they want. However their rule is disingenuous. You can speak freely as long as it’s approved speech isn’t being allowed to speak freely. Plus when I was a young man (and even not so young in a blue coller work place) this kind of talk used to be refered to as “kidding around” and everyone understood it was not to be taken seriously and was engaged in regularly.
Sounds to me like this was less about restricting freedom of speech than attacking men, part of the war on boys/men. Where there’s consent and humor there’s no offense – unless you’re a proper snowflake. These were men/boys being manly, sharing camaraderie. It’s how men relate. Can’t have that.
Youre exactly right, kidding around, but thanks to Odumbo the great, we now have to watch everything that is said to anyone at anytime, and even then, people can make up stuff and you’re toast. Obama wrecked this country with his bull sh*t political correctness crap. Hope he walks in front of a mack truck someday soon What a waste for a president who wasn’t even legal to be our president due to his/mom’s background. Hes a fake, happily living off the taxpayers still.
“Minority Report” anyone? Short of violent hazing, “college” is a place where youngsters are taught to GROW UP! Take life seriously, but don’t CHOKE on it! More “me too” fodder for the court. Not surprising that it’s N.Y.
This JUDGE needs to be BARRED and never sit on a BENCH
Ever again.. ALL of THESE DEPLORABLE JUDGES are all sitting
Sitting On their BRAINS..