University of North Carolina at Greensboro: Punishment of Free Speech Protestors

When College Libertarians members Allison Jaynes and Robert Sinnott protested against the University of North Carolina at Greenboro's free speech zone policy they were charged with a "violation of Respect" for refusing an order to stop their protest for being outside the designated free speech zones. FIRE wrote to UNCG Chancellor Patricia Sullivan explaining UNCG's restrictions on free speech were contrary to the First Amendment. After FIRE became involved, Jaynes and Sinnott received notice from the university that the charges had been dropped. FIRE also learned that the chancellor established a committee to reexamine the university's "free speech zone" policy.

Case Materials

• "UNC Greensboro Drops All Charges Against Free Speech Protestors," January 17, 2006: Bowing to public pressure, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro has dropped charges against two students who led a peaceful protest against the university’s policy of quarantining free speech to small areas of campus. FIRE first brought the university's repression to light last December.
• "E-mail from UNC Greensboro Asst. Dean of Students Brett Carter to Allison Jaynes, January 13, 2006," January 13, 2006
• "FIRE Letter to UNC General Counsel Leslie Winner, January 12, 2006," January 12, 2006
• "Letter from UNC Vice President and General Counsel Leslie Winner to FIRE, January 5, 2006," January 5, 2006
• "UNC Greensboro Persecutes Students for Demanding Freedom of Speech," December 15, 2005: The University of North Carolina–Greensboro is attempting to discipline two students for peacefully protesting outside two small “free speech zones” on campus. Ironically, the students were actually protesting the existence of those zones, which unconstitutionally restrict free speech. FIRE has intervened on the students’ behalf in this shameful case of campus censorship.
• "UNC Greensboro Facilities Use Policy," December 15, 2005
• "Letter from UNC Greensboro Counsel Lucien Capone to FIRE, December 9, 2005," December 9, 2005
• "FIRE Letter to UNC Greensboro Chancellor Patricia Sullivan, December 5, 2005," December 5, 2005
• "Charge Notification for UNC Greensboro Free Speech Protestor Allison Jaynes," November 28, 2005

Media Coverage

• "Free-speech zones on campus at issue,"
  Associated Press, December 17, 2006
• "The AHA's Double Standard on Academic Freedom,"
  by David Beito, Ralph Luker and Robert “K. C.” Johnson, Perspectives (American Historical Association), March 1, 2006
• "College groups unite for free speech at UNCG,"
  by Amy Kingsley, Yes! Weekly (Greensboro, N.C.), February 1, 2006
• "First Amendment covers campuses, too,"
  News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), January 22, 2006
• "UNC-G loses ground in free speech battle,"
  by Ashley Christian, The Daily Tar Heel (UNC-CH), January 19, 2006
• "Honor code charges against UNCG students dropped,"
  by Lanita Withers, News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), January 18, 2006
• "Colleges to avoid, Part III,"
  by Mike Adams, Townhall.com, January 17, 2006
• "Report: School limits on free speech illegal,"
  News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), January 11, 2006
• "UNCG in free speech battle,"
  by Jane Stancill, News & Observer, December 17, 2005
• "Protest outside free speech zone lands students in trouble,"
  Associated Press State & Local Wire, December 16, 2005