Over the weekend, several Washington State University syllabi were leaked showing professors banning words like “male,” “illegal alien” and “people of color,” while threatening to punish students for using them.
But on Monday, WSU administrators stepped in and told the professors that they could not ban the words nor punish students for using such language, as it would violate free speech rights.
“We are working with these faculty members to clarify, and in some cases modify, course policies to ensure that students’ free speech rights are recognized and protected,” WSU President Daniel J. Bernardo said in a statement. “No student will have points docked merely as a result of using terms that may be deemed offensive to some. Blanket restriction of the use of certain terms is not consistent with the values upon which this university is founded.
At least three professors teaching women’s studies or multi-culture courses distributed the syllabi.
One professor, Selena Lester Breikss, a women’s studies professor, had said she would punish students for using male/female pronouns, including “but not limited to removal from the class without attendance or participation points, failure of the assignment and — in extreme cases — failure for the semester.”
The other two professors, Rebecca Fowler and John Streamas, had said they would knock points off student’s grades for using terms they find oppressive.
