Conservatives Can Squelch Campus Speech Too
Campus liberals rightly get a lot of heat for their attacks on free speech and expression at universities via speech codes and the like. I have piled on a number of times. However, the impulse restrict speech you don't agree with is not limited to liberals (though it may be more prevalent due to leftist control of most campuses). Take this story via Volokh:
Vince Finaldi points me to the affidavit justifying the arrest of a student for asking a rude question at an Ann Coulter speech. If the facts in the affidavit are accurate, then it looks like the student has an excellent First Amendment defense.
Basically, the student asked Ms. Coulter her opinion of a married man and woman engaging in sodomy. Granted that he asked the question in a fairly profane manner, but he seems to have followed the Q&A rules by getting up, asking his question, and quietly waiting for the reply from his seat. So why are the police hauling him away?
r:
The arrest report seems to indicate that the student returned to his seat while simulating masturbation which provoked "an immediate breach of the peace". Hence the disorderly conduct. Seems more like a yelling "Fire" in a theater case to me.
May 5, 2005, 12:32 pm