Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 22nd, 2018

A summary of the top free speech related news and events from the past week. This week we have news on a couple lawsuits, a new campus free speech law, a survey of college professors, and the Count Dankula sentencing.

Freedom of speech is the right from which all other human rights follow because it allows people to address grievances and protest for their other rights. It is therefore of the utmost importance to protect the right to express oneself freely from those who seek to restrict it.

Count Dankula Sentenced

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-43864133
Count Dankula, aka Markus Meechan, has been sentenced by a Scottish court to pay a £800 for his “grossly offensive” Nazi pug video. He was convicted last month under Section 127 of the UK Communications Act of 2003 for public communication of offensive material. The sheriff presiding over the case ruled that the context of the joke was irrelevant. Supporters gathered outside the courthouse in Scotland and marched in London to protest the ruling and advocate for free speech. Meechan objected to the ruling saying, "This is a really dangerous precedent to set - for people to say things and their context to be completely ignored and then they can be convicted for it. You don't get to decide the context, other people don't get to decide the context, the court decides. That's dangerous." He set up a GoFundMe to appeal the conviction and overturn the dangerous precedent. It has already surpassed it’s goal.

Syracuse Fraternity Files Lawsuit

http://www.syracuse.com/su-news/index.ssf/2018/04/5_theta_tau_brothers_in_syracuse_frat_video_file_lawsuit_against_university_1.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/25/us/theta-tau-members-file-lawsuit/index.html
Five anonymous members of Theta Tau fraternity have filed a federal lawsuit against Syracuse University for disciplinary action against them. 18 students were suspended and the fraternity expelled following the leak of videos showing “egregious behavior.” The students accuse Syracuse of violating the proper procedures during the hasty investigation and branding them as bigots. The lawsuit claims the videos depict a traditional roast “that builds unity by satirically and hyperbolically depicting brothers.” It also accuses University officials of describing the conduct as criminal despite the DA saying the opposite and asks for a reversal of the suspensions as well as monetary damages.

Survey Of Professor Support For Free Speech

https://www.the-american-interest.com/2018/04/18/professors-support-free-speech/#_ftn1
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/25/college-professors-broadly-support-freedom-of-spee/
A survey conducted by Samuel J. Abrams, professor at Sarah Lawrence College, gauges the support of college professors for freedom of speech. Almost 900 professors were surveyed, showing greater support for free speech and diversity of ideas on campus than recent student surveys. 93% agree diverse viewpoints are necessary on campus. 80% agree that faculty should be free to discuss any relevant ideas in class. 69% agree that students should be exposed to all types of speech. The disparity between different ideologies in free speech support among professors was far less than among students. Disparity did exist between political ideologies in terms of how to manage speech, such as for safe spaces and punishment for disruptions.

Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Berkeley To Proceed

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-ucberkeley-lawsuit/uc-berkeley-must-face-lawsuit-alleging-bias-against-conservative-speakers-idUSKBN1HX2B4
U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney rejected the University of California Berkeley’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Berkeley College Republicans and the Young America’s Foundation. The lawsuit alleges that the University unfairly discriminated against conservative speakers by imposing unreasonable restrictions and fees. The lawsuit was filed after a planned speech by Ann Coulter was cancelled last year. The judge was “unpersuaded” that intentional discrimination took place and said they could not seek punitive damages, but that they could pursue an equal protection claim over disparate fees.

Arizona Governor Signs Campus Free Speech Bill

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/legislature/2018/04/27/campus-free-speech-crisis-focus-new-law-hb-2563-despite-lack-arizona-incidents/543283002/
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a campus free speech bill into law to protect free expression. The new law seeks to “ensure the fullest degree of intellectual freedom” by requiring reporting on speech infringement, consequences for those who impede speech and a university committee on free expression. It is a preemptive measure as Arizona colleges have not seen the same major free speech issues as elsewhere. The main goal of this legislation is preventing the heckler’s veto, where protestors disrupt a speech. It also allows lawsuits against the university for free speech infringements. The bill was authored by the Goldwater Institute which hopes it will serve as model legislation throughout the country.

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Recent Free Speech Roundups:

Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 15th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 8th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 1st, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 25th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 18th, 2018

Other Free Speech Posts:

Count Dankula Sentenced
UK Speech Police Offended Again
Lèse-majesté: Archaic Anti-Speech Law
California Bill Threatens Online Press and Speech
UK Parliament Report on Campus Free Speech
Thoughtcrime in the UK?
New Study Shows College Students Conflicted on Free Speech
Who is most supportive of free speech?
Campus Free Speech Zones
Hitchens on Free Speech - Must Watch

Free Speech Resources:

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
The American Civil Liberties Union
Notable 1st Amendment Cases – ALA
Milton’s Areopagitica – Modern English Translation
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill – Audiobook

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
~ First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States