FIRE ( the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) is a group that works across the US to remove University regulations that violate the free speech or due process rights of college and university students and professors under the First Amendment and/or Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Two-thirds of the nation’s colleges maintain policies that clearly and substantially restrict freedom of speech. The University of Virginia was once listed as one of the worst offenders. But now, UVA is an exception to the rule having fully reformed four speech codes over the course of the last year.

Two student groups, Students for Individual Liberty and Liberty Coalition had contacted FIRE and laid complaints concerning the university’s speech codes. A newly appointed President at the University promised to work with FIRE and the two groups to deal with the problem.

The first thing kicked in to touch was the University’s “Just Report it” scheme. A so called “bias reporting system”. Students were made aware that protected speech will not be “subject to University disciplinary action or formal investigation” even if it is reported.

Next to go was unconstitutional language from a policy prohibiting Internet messages that “vilify” others and mailing list messages that are “inappropriate.” Removing such overly broad and vague language helped remove a possible chilling effect on constitutionally protected speech. (where would the left be without that old chestnut “inappropriate”?)

Finally, the UVA’s Women’s Center confirmed that it had removed two policies with unconstitutional examples of “sexual harassment” from its website. Some examples stated that “jokes of a sexual nature,” “teasing,” and even mere “innuendo” constituted sexual harassment. The policies further suggested that simple flirting could be sexual harassment if it was not “wanted and mutual,” and that if a person felt “disrespected,” their experience “could indicate sexual harassment.”

These moves represent a massive kick in the teeth for the Marxists deconstructionists who have incrementally converted universities from places of learning to political indoctrination centers. FIRE has been able to institute similar reforms at about a dozen other US universities. On some occasions though, only making progress after threats of monetary loss legal action against administrators.

The problem of course is that it is only happening in a few universities, and only in the US, where the constitution can be used as legal leverage to repel stubborn Marxist administrators. Other countries lack this leverage. What happened at the University of Virginia badly needs to occur at universities and schools throughout the western world. It would cut the ground from under the hard core Marxists who infest universities and molest the minds of gullible inexperienced and politically naive students, and then send them into the world as foot soldiers for their insidious and evil ideology. Example

Sadly, most professed “right wing” political parties show little interest in pursuing the matter, perhaps not realising it is at the heart of many of our current political problems.

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education