Colorado State University: Student Editor on Trial for Protected Speech

The editor of a student newspaper ran an editorial that said "Taser this...FUCK BUSH" in response to the well-known tasering incident at the University of Florida, which had occurred four days earlier. The school admonished the editor, declaring the editorial "unethical and unprofessional," but took no further action when they found the speech was protected under the First Amendment.

Case Materials

• "Colorado State University’s Board of Student Communications Admonishment of J. David McSwane, October 4, 2007," October 5, 2007
• "Colorado State University to Hold Hearing on Controversial Student Editorial," October 4, 2007: Colorado State University is set to hold a formal hearing today on charges against the editor of its student newspaper, who late last month ran an editorial that read, “Taser this…FUCK BUSH.” CSU’s Board of Student Communications (BSC) is considering firing Rocky Mountain Collegian editor J. David McSwane for publishing the editorial, which was a reaction to the well-known tasering incident at the University of Florida four days earlier. FIRE is calling on CSU President Larry Edward Penley to put an immediate stop to the trial, which is an unconstitutional abridgement of students’ freedom of speech at CSU.
• "FIRE’s Letter to Colorado State University Interim Board of Student Communications President James Landers, October 3, 2007," October 4, 2007
• "Statement from Colorado State University President Larry Penley, September 21, 2007," October 4, 2007
• ""Taser This...FUCK BUSH" Editorial in 'The Rocky Mountain Collegian,' September 21, 2007," October 4, 2007

Blog Entries

• "Colorado State U. Newspaper May Finally Gain Independence," by Adam Kissel, April 17, 2008
• "CSU Ruling on Student Editorial Respects First Amendment Limits on Government Action," by William Creeley, October 5, 2007
• "FIRE Debates CSU Case on the Radio Today," by Emily Guidry, October 5, 2007

Media Coverage

• "Campus-media watchdogs expect free-speech chills after "Taser this....","
  by Joshua Zaffos, Rocky Mountain Chronicle, October 10, 2007
• "CSU and ‘Conventions of Decency’,"
  by Greg Lukianoff, The Huffington Post, October 1, 2007