Hinds Community College: Student Barred from Class

On March 29, 2010, Hinds Community College (HCC) student Isaac Rosenbloom complained to a fellow student following class that his grade in the course was "going to f--- up my entire GPA." After overhearing this comment, Rosenbloom's professor, Barbara Pyle, threatened him with "detention" and submitted a disciplinary complaint against Rosenbloom. HCC found Rosenbloom guilty of "flagrant disrespect" and issued him twelve "demerits," just three short of suspension, and involuntarily withdrew him from Pyle's course, causing him to lose his financial aid eligibility. After HCC failed to respond to FIRE's initial letter, FIRE obtained the assistance of attorneys Robert B. McDuff and Sibyl Byrd, who took up Rosenbloom's case and secured a settlement in his favor in July 2010, allowing him to resume his training as a paramedic. Unfortunately, HCC continues to maintain an unconstitutional ban on "public profanity, cursing and vulgarity." 

Case Materials

• "Victory for Free Speech on Campus: Mississippi College Reverses Punishment of Student for Swearing Outside of Class," July 28, 2010: Isaac Rosenbloom is again able to pursue advanced training as a paramedic at Hinds Community College (HCC) now that the school has reversed its punishment against him for swearing a single time outside of class. Rosenbloom, who supports his wife and two young children as an emergency medical technician, was barred from one of his classes and denied financial aid after a professor initiated a verbal confrontation with him over his language. After HCC found Rosenbloom guilty of "flagrant disrespect," he turned to FIRE for help.
• "Hinds Community College President Clyde Muse Letter Denying Isaac Rosenbloom Appeal," May 20, 2010
• "Mississippi College Bars Student from Course for Swearing Outside of Class," May 18, 2010: Mississippi's largest community college unconstitutionally bans "cursing and vulgarity" and has barred a student from a course for swearing outside of class. After Hinds Community College (HCC) student Isaac Rosenbloom was forbidden to return to class and given twelve "demerits," he turned to FIRE for help.
• "FIRE Letter to Hinds CC President Clyde Muse," April 27, 2010
• "Isaac Rosenbloom's Appeal," April 8, 2010
• "Charges Against Isaac Rosenbloom," April 6, 2010
• "Recording of Isaac Rosenbloom's Hearing," April 6, 2010
• "Hearing Notice," March 31, 2010

Blog Entries

• "Latest FIRE Video Draws 27,000 Viewers, Coverage From ‘Boing Boing’," by Nico Perrino, April 15, 2013
• "Student's Career Threatened After School Punishes Him for Profanity Outside of Class (VIDEO)," by Nico Perrino, April 11, 2013: In 2010, Isaac Rosenbloom complained to a fellow student after his Oral Communications class that a grade he received on an assignment was "going to f**k up [his] entire GPA." Rosenbloom’s professor at Hinds Community College in Mississippi overheard the comment, threatened him with "detention," and submitted a disciplinary complaint to the school. The school found Rosenbloom—a husband and father of two children—guilty under the university’s speech code of "flagrant disrespect" and involuntarily withdrew him from the class, causing him to lose his financial aid eligibility and threatening his paramedic training. With FIRE’s help, Rosenbloom was able to get his academic career back on track.
• "No Public Reading of 'Huck Finn' Allowed on Mississippi Campus," by Adam Kissel, January 18, 2011
• "More Public Scrutiny of Mississippi Speech Codes in the Wake of Hinds Case," by Jaclyn Hall, August 25, 2010
• "On Football and Other F-words in Mississippi," by Peter Bonilla, August 12, 2010
• "The Public Debates the Hinds Swearing Case," by Jordan Fischetti, August 3, 2010
• "FIRE's Adam Kissel on The Gallo Radio Show Friday Morning," by William Creeley, July 29, 2010
• "'Chronicle of Higher Education' on FIRE's Victory at HCC," by Peter Bonilla, July 29, 2010
• "Victory for Free Speech on Campus: Mississippi College Reverses Punishment of Student for Swearing Outside of Class," by Peter Bonilla, July 28, 2010
• "'USA Today' Blogger Criticizes Punishment of Mississippi Student in FIRE Case," by Peter Bonilla, June 3, 2010
• "Hinds Community College President Upholds 12-Demerit Punishment for Swearing," by Adam Kissel, May 26, 2010
• "Adam Kissel Appearing on MSNBC Live and Salem Radio Network Today," May 20, 2010
• "Local and National Media Descend on Mississippi College," by Peter Bonilla, May 19, 2010
• "Why Does FIRE Care About Swear Words, Anyway?," by Robert Shibley, May 19, 2010
• "Mississippi College Bars Student from Course for Swearing Outside of Class," by Adam Kissel, May 18, 2010

Media Coverage

• "Student says f-word outside of class, college nearly ruins his career,"
  by Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing, April 12, 2013
• "Free-speech policies questioned,"
  by Elizabeth Crisp, The Clarion-Ledger, August 16, 2010
• "Miss.: First in football, last in free speech?,"
  by Gary Pettus, The Clarion-Ledger, August 8, 2010
• "Slip of tongue prompts campus speech debate,"
  by Elizabeth Crisp, The Clarion-Ledger, August 1, 2010
• "College in Mississippi Withdraws Penalties Against Student Who Swore,"
  by Don Troop, The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 28, 2010
• "When students drop the F-bomb,"
  by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, May 19, 2010
• "An F (bomb) in oral communications,"
  by Don Troop, The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 18, 2010
• "HCC student says he was punished for swearing,"
  by Staff Editorial, WAPT ABC, May 18, 2010