Ethics

Controversy Over UNLV Speech Code

By Ed Brayton

The University of Nevada - Las Vegas is working to implement a "hate speech" code and running into opposition from the ACLU of Nevada and from some faculty members who fear that the proposed rules are far too vague and prone to arbitrary enforcement. The Las Vegas Sun reported on this beginning a couple weeks ago.

Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel of the ACLU of Nevada, said the broad definition of bias incidents includes actions protected by the U.S. Constitution, such as making comments that denigrate somebody's race or religion. The proposed policy gives the impression, he said, that someone who makes such remarks will be in trouble with the university or the law.

"Are those statements necessarily designed to advance intellectual inquiry? Probably not," Lichtenstein said. "Are they protected by the First Amendment? Absolutely."

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on May 09, 2009 (boomark / email).