University of California at San Diego: First Amendment Violations at UCSD

In a victory for freedom of the press on campus, the student government of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) voted last night to end an ongoing moratorium on funding for student media. The vote restores funding for student media organizations and makes no changes to the current policy governing student media. FIRE has been working with student media to end the funding freeze.

Case Materials

• "Victory for Freedom of the Press: UC San Diego Ends Unconstitutional Funding Freeze," March 11, 2010: In a victory for freedom of the press on campus, the student government of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) voted last night to end an ongoing moratorium on funding for student media. The vote restores funding for student media organizations and makes no changes to the current policy governing student media. FIRE has been working with student media to end the funding freeze.
• "E-Mail to All UCSD Academics and Staff, February 25, 2010," February 25, 2010
• "NPR segment "Racial Tensions High on College Campus"," February 25, 2010
• "FIRE Second Letter to UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox," February 25, 2010
• "FIRE Letter to University of California, San Diego, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox," February 23, 2010
• "UC San Diego Freezes Funds for 33 Media Groups, Dissolves Student TV, Threatens to Punish Students for Protected Speech," February 23, 2010: The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and its student government have violated the First Amendment by freezing funds for 33 student media organizations, dissolving the student-run television station, and threatening to punish students involved in a controversy over a party invitation for an event called the "Compton Cookout." Student government president Utsav Gupta has explained that his repressive actions were due to "fracturing of the student body on an issue" and "hateful speech." Further, under pressure from state legislators who seek to punish protected speech, UCSD has launched "aggressive investigations" into the party invitation. After many students came to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help, FIRE has written two letters to UCSD defending the First Amendment both on and off campus.
• "FIRE Letter to Associated Students President Utsav Gupta and UCSD Chancellor Marye A. Fox," February 22, 2010

Blog Entries

• "Staff Editorial in UCSD 'Guardian' Gets It Right on Proposed Hate Speech Bill," by Azhar Majeed, April 2, 2010
• "UCSD Campus Publications Guard the First Amendment with Vigilance," by Adam Kissel, April 2, 2010
• "Rights in the News: First Amendment Wins Out at UCSD," by Peter Bonilla, March 12, 2010
• "Behind the Scenes at UCSD: 'Guardian' Shows the Lengths Student Government Went to Gain Control of Media," by Peter Bonilla, March 12, 2010
• "Victory for Freedom of the Press: UC San Diego Ends Unconstitutional Funding Freeze," by Robert Shibley, March 11, 2010
• "In 'Pajamas Media,' FIRE's Robert Shibley Criticizes Censorship of 'Hate Speech' at UCSD," by Peter Bonilla, March 11, 2010
• "In Battling Racism, UC San Diego Must Not Follow the University of Delaware's Example," by Peter Bonilla, March 10, 2010
• "Rights in the News: Greg's New Book Project Announced as Battle For Free Speech Continues at UCSD," by Peter Bonilla, March 6, 2010
• "Two California Student Newspapers Address UCSD Free Speech Issues: One Right, One Wrong," by Peter Bonilla, March 3, 2010
• "UCSD Students to Protest First Amendment Violations Today," by Luke Sheahan, March 3, 2010
• " 'Verified Apology' for Noose Incident at UCSD," by Robert Shibley, March 1, 2010
• "San Diego Columnist: Investigating Protected Speech is an Expensive Mistake," by William Creeley, March 1, 2010
• "Rights in the News: FIRE on Front Lines as Free Speech Saga Unfolds at UCSD," by Peter Bonilla, February 27, 2010
• "Why Doesn't FIRE Condemn [Insert Your Least Favorite Expression Here]?," by Robert Shibley, February 26, 2010
• "San Diego's American Civil Liberties Union Writes Three Letters Defending Free Speech at UCSD," by Adam Kissel, February 26, 2010
• "Noose Reported at UCSD Library; Not Protected Speech," by Adam Kissel, February 26, 2010
• "UCSD Missed the Memo on New UC Harassment Policy," by Adam Kissel, February 25, 2010
• "UCSD Upholds Media Funding Ban on 33 Organizations," by Adam Kissel, February 25, 2010
• "Double Standards at UCSD," by Samantha Harris, February 25, 2010
• "Support FIRE's Work at UCSD!," by Alisha Glennon, February 23, 2010
• "Silverglate on 'Corrupted Language' in Campus Speech Codes, Federal Law," by Robert Shibley, February 23, 2010
• "UC San Diego Freezes Funds to 33 Media Groups, Dissolves Student TV, Threatens to Punish Students for Protected Speech," by Adam Kissel, February 23, 2010

Media Coverage

• "Censoring bigoted speech at UC San Diego: Who does it help?,"
  by Robert Shibley, Pajamas Media, March 11, 2010