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Valdosta State University: Victory for Free Speech

果冻传媒app官方

ATLANTA, Ga. (Jan. 17, 2008) 鈥 In a meeting yesterday, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia reversed a ruling against Valdosta State University student T. Hayden Barnes, who was expelled in May 2007 after using Facebook.com and other methods to publicly protest the school鈥檚 decision to construct two new parking garages on campus. Barnes 鈥 who filed a federal lawsuit last week against VSU alleging constitutional violations 鈥 was informed by his lawyer, noted First Amendment attorney Robert Corn-Revere, that the Board has reversed his expulsion.

鈥淔IREcommends the Board of Regents for beginning to right the horrendous wrong committed against Hayden Barnes simply for exercising his First Amendment rights at a public university,鈥 FIRESenior Program Officer William Creeley said. 鈥淏ut the case should never have come this far. Barnes鈥檚 lawsuit will ensure that VSU answers for its unconstitutional actions in court.鈥

Barnes鈥檚 struggles began last spring, when he peacefully protested VSU President Ronald Zaccari鈥檚 plan to spend $30 million of student fees to construct two parking garages on campus. By posting flyers and sending e-mails to Zaccari, student and faculty governing bodies, and the Board of Regents, Barnes sought to detail his concerns about the parking structures and propose environmentally friendly options.

In response, Zaccari personally ordered that Barnes be 鈥administratively withdrawn鈥 from campus, claiming that Barnes presented a 鈥渃lear and present danger鈥 to both Zaccari and the VSU campus. To justify Barnes鈥檚 expulsion, Zaccari relied heavily on a cut-and-paste collage Barnes had posted on his Facebook.com page that included pictures of Zaccari, a parking deck, and the caption 鈥淪.A.V.E. 鈥 Zaccari Memorial Parking Garage,鈥 a sarcastic reference to concerns Barnes says Zaccari had expressed in a meeting about his 鈥渓egacy鈥 as president of VSU.

Over the last few months, FIREwrote repeatedly to University System of Georgia officials, urging them to undo VSU鈥檚 unlawful actions and uphold the Constitution within the university system. When VSU continued to refuse to honor Barnes鈥檚 constitutional rights, Barnes filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that Zaccari wrongfully violated his right to freedom of speech. The suit emphasizes Zaccari鈥檚 irrational insistence that Barnes represented a threat and a 鈥渃lear and present danger,鈥 despite findings to the contrary by mental health professionals. Barnes is asking the court for damages, including punitive damages and attorney鈥檚 fees.

Yesterday, the Board of Regents voted to reverse Zaccari鈥檚 expulsion of Barnes, thus preventing the matter from being adjudicated by Georgia鈥檚 Office of State Administrative Hearings. Barnes鈥檚 lawsuit against the university will continue.

VSU鈥檚 brazen disregard for Barnes鈥檚 rights has earned it a place on FIRE鈥檚 Red Alert List. The school also maintains a blatantly unconstitutional free speech zone, which FIREis fighting to dismantle. VSU has remained silent on the free speech zone thus far.

鈥淎lthough serious concerns remain about the state of free speech on VSU鈥檚 campus, we are glad that Hayden may continue his academic career without fear of punishment for engaging in a peaceful, legal protest,鈥 Creeley said. 鈥淲e also hope VSU will reconsider its free speech zone policy, which not only limits free speech to a small section of campus, but also restricts student speech there to a mere two hours per day. FIREwill keep VSU on our Red Alert List until we can report that the school is truly fulfilling its role as a public university in America, where free speech should be revered and encouraged.鈥

FIRE 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, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation鈥檚 colleges and universities. 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 efforts to preserve liberty at Valdosta State University and on campuses across America can be viewed at thefire.org.

CONTACT:
William Creeley, Senior Program Officer, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; will@thefire.org
Ronald Zaccari, President, Valdosta State University: 229-333-5952; rzaccari@valdosta.edu
Erroll B. Davis, Jr., Chancellor, University System of Georgia: 404-656-2202; chancellor@usg.edu
Robert Corn-Revere, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP: 202-973-4225; bobcornrevere@dwt.com

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