Kean University, a public institution in Union, N.J., holds a red speech code rating, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s campus free speech rating system.
Colleges and universities that have at least one policy that “both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech” are assigned a red light rating, according to FIRE.
Kean University’s website does state that it “affirms the commitment of the university to free speech and to dissent,” noting that it “recognizes the inherent link between these two.”
However, Kean encourages its students to fill out a “request for demonstration and distribution of literature form” and return it to the Miron Student Center Operations and Event Management Office. Upon the processing of the form, the university will “designate appropriate time, place, and manner restrictions.” This request must be made 72 hours prior to planned use, which restricts spontaneous speech.
Furthermore, Kean University requires students to submit a formal request online in order to distribute literature at designated sites. This request must be submitted at least five business days in advance.
David Schnall, Young Americans for Liberty chapter president at Kean University, told Red Alert Politics that he was required to gain approval and submit a copy of the Constitution in order to distribute it.
“I had to get approval from the Center for Leadership and Service to hand out [copies of the] Constitution,” Schnall said. “When I said I wouldn’t go through the process they ignored me.”
Schnall also said that he told the Center for Leadership and Service that he was not going to apply, but gave them the time and date for the distribution of the copies of the Constitution.
According to Schnall, the university repeated the policy, but did not enforce it when Schnall distributed Constitutions without submitting a request.
Kean University did not respond to Red Alert Politics’ request for comment in time for publication.
