Western Washington University, a public college in Bellingham, Wash., holds a yellow light rating according to a campus free speech rating system belonging to the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education.
A yellow light institution is one “whose policies restrict a more limited amount of protected expression or, by virtue of their vague wording, could too easily be used to restrict protected expression.”
Western Washington University claims to follow “case law” stating that “colleges and universities, just as other governmental agencies, have the right and responsibility to establish ‘time, place, and manner’ restrictions for person or persons wishing to gather on university property.” This policy applies to all those wanting to assemble on university property.
Furthermore, the university states that all activities with a “potential impact on normal university operations must be scheduled through the Viking Union Reservation Office.”
According to the policy, approval must be gained from the director of the Viking Union/Student Activities before the event can take place, and the students would have to follow administrators’ requirements for the event in order to receive approval.
“Western Washington University is another prime example of the nanny state trickling down into our universities,” Alexander Staudt, director of free speech at Young Americans for Liberty, told Red Alert Politics. “While they do have a vested interest in ensuring that the educational functions of the university are never hindered; however, their ambiguity and excessive red tape disincentivize students.”
Western Washington University also has a number of restrictions regarding posting and distributing. For example, banners must be approved of by the university before hanging, and commercial postings are only allowed to hang on one unassigned posting board each.
“Some of the policies are gray areas,” Sean Rita, former chapter president of Young Americans for Liberty at Western Washington University, told Red Alert. “We experienced an administrator attempting to stop us from handing out fliers. We taped it, and nothing came of it.”
Rita continued to say that the administrator called the police, but they did not stop the students from handing out the flyers.
“Law enforcement on campus has been excellent in respecting students’ rights,” Rita said.
Western Washington University’s only comment was to direct Red Alert Politics to their website.
The campus law enforcement’s lack of action is contradictory to campus policies, begging the question: Why have such restrictive policies if they aren’t going to be enforced?
