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果冻传媒app官方, FIREGo Four-for-Four as Ohio U. Settles Speech Code Lawsuit

ATHENS, Ohio, February 2, 2015鈥擨n a settlement signed today, Ohio University (OU) agreed to revise several policies that restricted free speech on campus rather than fight a student-led First Amendment lawsuit in court. This marks the fourth victory in a row for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education鈥檚 (贵滨搁贰鈥檚) .

Student Isaac Smith sued OU in July 2014 after OU administrators ordered Smith and other members of the FIREDefending FIRE(SDS) campus organization to stop wearing T-shirts with the three-decade-old slogan, 鈥淲e get you off for free.鈥 SDS provides free assistance to students accused of disciplinary infractions鈥攁n activity that rarely endears the group to the college administration. The slogan was first used by SDS in the 1970s.

Smith and his fellow SDS members obeyed the administrators鈥 orders to stop wearing the shirts because they feared punishment under the vague language of OU鈥檚 Student Code of Conduct. The Student Code of Conduct prohibited any 鈥渁ct that degrades, demeans, or disgraces鈥 another student as well as 鈥渢aking any reckless, but not accidental, action from which mental or bodily harm could result to another person.鈥 As part of today鈥檚 settlement, OU has changed these policies to comply with the First Amendment. It will also pay $32,000 for Smith鈥檚 damages and attorneys鈥 fees.

鈥淏ecause of Isaac Smith鈥檚 willingness to stand up for his constitutional rights, OU has revised its vague speech codes,鈥 said FIREPresident Greg Lukianoff. 鈥淔or too long, universities have engaged in censorship with little or no fear of repercussions. FIREis bringing that era to an end.鈥

Attorneys Robert Corn-Revere, Ronald London, and Lisa Zycherman of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine represented Smith. OU鈥檚 settlement comes on the heels of settlements with the University of Hawaii System and Citrus College in December 2014. So far, colleges have settled four of the seven Stand Up For Speech lawsuits coordinated by FIREfor a total of $242,000 in fees and damages. The other three lawsuits are still being litigated. With this victory at OU, the project has successfully protected the free speech rights of over 135,000 students.

鈥淚鈥檓 glad I stood up for speech and got my school to change its policies,鈥 said Smith. 鈥淔IREand my attorneys at Davis Wright Tremaine are great allies to have and I鈥檓 very excited to see more free speech on campus.鈥

FIRE, the nation's leading student rights organization, is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, freedom of expression, academic freedom, due process, and rights of conscience at our nation鈥檚 colleges and universities. 贵滨搁贰鈥檚 efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America can be viewed at thefire.org.

CONTACT:

Katie Barrows, Communications Coordinator, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; katie@thefire.org

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