Who said there’s a free speech crisis on college campuses? As everyone knows, that’s just a figment of the right-wing imagination.
For proof of the sacrosanct status of free speech in American higher education, look no further than Pierce College in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. The school is so committed to free speech that it actually has a dedicated “free speech zone.” Never mind that it isn’t exactly a sprawling space, just 616 square feet (the size of three parking spots, L.A.’s City News Service noted) on Pierce’s 426-acre campus. Strangely, some students think that roping off a fraction of a percent of the school for free speech isn’t space enough.
Last year, a Pierce student named Kevin Shaw showed a callous disregard for the rules and regulations governing free speech at Pierce College. He was attempting to drum up support for the libertarian Young Americans for Liberty by handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution on campus. Imagine that! He was stopped by a school administrator before any damage could be done to the psyches of Pierce’s snowflakes. The administrator informed Shaw that he needed to stay in the tiny confines of the school’s “free speech zone.” The official also helpfully informed Shaw that, bureaucratic niceties being what they are, he should also reserve a spot in the zone.
Somehow, even with all that administrative helpfulness, Shaw was not satisfied: He has sued Pierce College and the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) in federal court, accusing them of infringing on his free speech rights. The lawsuit attracted the attention of the Department of Justice, which has filed a “Statement of Interest” in the case. “In the United States’ view,” the DoJ weighed in last week, “Plaintiff Kevin Shaw has properly pleaded that speech regulations imposed by [the college and the LACCD] violated his First Amendment rights.”
Asked about all of this by the City News Service, LACCD spokesman Yusef Robb was the soul of reassurance: “We are fully committed to free expression on our campuses,” Robb said. “As a community college district, promoting the free exchange of ideas and knowledge is at the core of what we do, every day.” We’re sure everyone feels better knowing that.
