When Conservatives Suppress Campus Speech

I was shocked when the leaders of the University of Wisconsin System approved an anti-protest policy in early October that punishes any of the 182,000 students at the state’s 13 public colleges who disrupt campus speeches and presentations. A student can be suspended or expelled for engaging in violence “or other disorderly conduct,” but it’s unclear what constitutes such behavior. The argument behind the new policy is that students need to listen to all viewpoints and opinions. This rationale pretends that the anti-protest policy protects all discourse, but it excludes the views of the students who are protesting.

The move is part of efforts by the state’s Republican lawmakers to privilege conservative speech over liberal speech. It was approved by the 18-member Board of Regents, 16 of whom were appointed by the Republican governor, Scott Walker. And it’s virtually identical to anti-heckling legislation passed by the Republican-majority State Assembly last June. The president of the regents reportedly told the board before the vote that enacting the policy demonstrates “a responsiveness to what’s going on in the Capitol, which helps build relationships.” Apparently, making sure universities agree with the desires of Republican legislators is a higher calling than protecting students’ rights.

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