WTF Cincinnati

From The Daily Caller:

the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE, where I work), has sorted through the hundreds of colleges and universities across the nation that severely restrict the First Amendment rights of their students, and is ready to present a “dirty dozen” of colleges that have attacked freedom of speech with such zeal that we cannot help but (dis)honor them. While it was difficult to choose from such a wide talent pool, certain schools took our breath away with their dazzling performances. So here, in no particular order, are the winners of this year’s 12 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 

1. University of Cincinnati
2. Syracuse University
3. Widener University
4. Harvard University
5. Yale University
6. St. Augustine’s College
7. Michigan State University
8. Colorado College
9. Johns Hopkins University
10. Tufts University
11. Bucknell University
12. Brandeis University

Of course, every good awards show needs an introductory video. So please sit back and join us in recognizing the tireless efforts of just a few of the winners: Brandeis University, the University of Cincinnati and St. Augustine’s College.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) earns its “honor” by managing to distinguish itself among the many schools that limit student speech to unconstitutional “free speech zones.” Out of the 137 acres of the UC West Campus, the school limits “all demonstrations, pickets, and rallies” to a “Free Speech Area” that comprises 0.1% of it. And if students do not request permission to use that 0.1% of campus a full 10 working days in advance, they “may be charged with trespassing.” When a student group requested permission to collect signatures to support a statewide ballot initiative outside of this tiny zone, UC told them that campus security would be alerted if any of its members dared to “walk around” outside the zone gathering signatures. In other words, UC students can apparently walk around wherever they like on campus — as long as they’re not exercising a First Amendment right at the same time.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/28/the-top-12-worst-colleges-for-free-speech/#ixzz1sonNWGvP