Education Policy, Business and Technology

Charlottesville May Put the Brakes on Campus Free Speech Laws

Stateline: The sight of white supremacists marching through the heart of the University of Virginia, carrying flaming Tiki torches and shouting “Jews will not replace us!” — followed by the killing of a counterprotester at a rally in downtown Charlottesville the next day — may put the brakes on state efforts to strengthen campus free speech protections.

At least seven states (Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia) have enacted such laws since 2014, and many other states considered them this year. But the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer in Charlottesville this month showed how hateful speech can lead to violence. That might prompt lawmakers to rethink how such bills are written or whether to support them at all.

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