Letters: Free speech at Cal State
Re “Going for a spin of Cal State,” April 24
Cal State University Chancellor Timothy P. White should augment his visits to all 23 campuses with a review and revision of their unconstitutional discrimination and harassment policies that violate the rights of students and faculty members.
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, 14 Cal State campuses have harassment policies that ban substantial amounts of speech that do not constitute true harassment and are in fact protected by the 1st Amendment. Nine other campuses have policies restricting a more limited amount of protected speech.
White must revise his campuses’ harassment policies to comport with the Supreme Court’s 1999 Davis standard, the 1st Amendment and the California Constitution.
Not only do these policies chill campus speech, they also expose the campuses to costly litigation.
Velma Montoya
Hollywood
The writer is a former member of the UC Board of Regents and the former chairwoman of the California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
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