It’s encouraging to see that one university has decided to drop its

stifling, restrictive policy on “harassment” that vaguely prohibited speech

that might be offensive to anyone. Sadly, as FIRE has documented, such

policies remain in place throughout much of our higher education system. In

this regard, universities are a lot like labor unions, which keep treating

workers in ways that they know violate the law, but they won’t stop unless

forced to. The legal precedents against vague speech codes are clear, but

they don’t enforce themselves.

An excellent, recent book on this topic is Donald Alexander Downs’ Restoring Free Speech and Liberty on Campus. The book is well worth reading for its insight into

the mind of the campus zealots who believe that free speech is actually

oppressive.