Education Policy, Business and Technology

U.S. Justice Department Weighs In On Campus Free Speech Lawsuit

Stateline: The U.S. Justice Department has filed a legal brief supporting the plaintiffs in a campus free speech lawsuit, one of many such briefs Attorney General Jeff Sessions has promised the agency will file in the months to come.

The lawsuit concerns Georgia Gwinett College. Students there sued the public institution over its “free-speech zone” policy, which restricts certain speech to two small areas of campus. The Justice Department’s Statement of Interest argues that the college’s policy is overly broad and violates the students’ right to free speech and to equal protection under the law.

Since 2014 at least seven states have passed laws that aim to strengthen campus free speech. Many other states considered bills on the subject this year. Five of the seven state laws prohibit campuses from limiting protests, rallies and pamphleteering to designated zones.

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