The first case that Greg Lukianoff discusses in his book Unlearning Liberty is that of Valdosta State University student Thomas Barnes, who was treated very badly by the thin-skinned administration at the school when he had the temerity to protest their decision to construct a new parking garage. That case has been in the courts for years, but recently the 11th Circuit issued a decision that is very favorable to Mr. Barnes and restates that (as Ilya Shapiro of Cato Institute writes), “malicious public officials aren’t entitled to special protections when they clearly violate the rights of another.”

Good for the 11th Circuit, which also refused to give public officials immunity from prosecution in an appalling raid of a Florida barber shop. High-handed actions by officials that violate individual rights need to be attacked in the courts again and again.

Maybe this decision will cause some university lawyers to yell “stop!” to administrators before they behave like little tyrants in dealing with students who exercise their rights under the First Amendment.