Freedom Of Speech In Schools Essay

Public speech is an intrinsic characteristic of most institutions that allows speakers to expound upon topics relating to current political, social, or other miscellaneous issues. Recently, disapproving students at various colleges such as Berkeley and Middlebury have challenged public orators given permission to speak at their respective campuses. Although most of these protests had peaceful inceptions, they promptly intensified until the calm civil disobedience became an escalating riot. Such protests in academic as well as non academic realms have raised the question of how institutions should decide to whom they provide a public stage to without provoking severe objections by its members. To provide fair and constitutionally aligned opportunities

The amendment states, “Congress shall make no laws… abridging the freedom of speech… or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,” yet it is commonly known that teachers and students cannot openly discuss religious beliefs before a public classroom. One can logically conclude that there are legal limits to a citizen’s freedom of speech in varying venues. So, concerning non-private sites for presentations, all legal limitations as constitutionally outlined must be met and confirmed by a screening process before the speech may be

Those caught in the act or attempting to vandalize or commit violent actions should be seen as non-peaceful and thus faced with criminal punishment for breaking the right to peaceful protest. In an educational setting, enrollment entails the student’s legally binding agreement to uphold the code of conduct. If violated, the student is subject to immediate expulsion and dismissal from school grounds. Such a code of conduct will function as a preventative measure to deter violent actions taken against third parties in a hypothetical disturbance. Had this policy been enacted, the scene of the Middlebury professor being physically assaulted by the angry mob of college students may have been