Universities that foster reasoned and thoughtful debate are vital to a thriving society. Since the passage of the Bill of Rights, Americans have enjoyed the right to free expression. Many forms of offensive speech are protected by the First Amendment, while obscenity and certain types of violent expression are not.
Pressure to snuff out free speech is increasing. From Middlebury College to the University of California, Berkeley, protests have erupted into violence, turning the “marketplace of ideas” into a danger area for freedom of expression. How can universities strike a balance between free expression and the need for campus peace and safety? What, if any, restrictions should be placed on student expression at a private institution?
The Constitution Day Student Committee will welcome Susan Kruth, senior program officer at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and Reginald Oh, professor of law at Cleveland State University, to discuss these critical questions related to the First Amendment.
This event, titled “Freedom of Expression on Campus,” will be held Monday, Sept. 18, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the School of Law’s Moot Courtroom (A59).
The Office of the President, Office of Government and Community Relations, Department of Political Science, Center for Policy Studies and School of Law will sponsor this event.
Learn more at policy.case.edu/.