3.16.2005

Oxy Morons

Freedom of speech on campus is under fire these days from politically correct faculty and administrators who try to define any speech they don't like as "hate speech" or "harassment."

Taking the lead in defense of free speech on campus is the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a group I've followed in the news and developed a great respect for.

The latest news is a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Occidental College for punishing a campus radio shock jock and shutting down the student government of which he was a leader.

If you read Oxy's side first, as I did, you get the impression that the kid is a juvenile delinquent guilty of death threats, vandalism, and other crimes against both students and the university.

Then, however, read FIRE's awesome, point-by-point response, and you'll see how dishonest and out of control the administration is. I often make the usual derogatory jokes about lawyers, but I sat in awe as I read the brilliant, 28-page letter that ripped Oxy's arguments to shreds.

The whole story here.

HT: Instapundit.

UPDATE: An Oxy alum writes, "What a cretin! I think Oxy handled this thing totally wrong, but for different reasons than you. In my opinion he should have been expelled early on."

I agree that Antebi is an obnoxious jerk, but the school incorrectly punished him saying that what he said was "sexual harassment," when it was nothing of the sort. The problem is that leftist groups (like MEChA and La Raza) always get away with saying whatever they want, which is often racist, vile, and threatening, while those with a conservative viewpoint get similar rants shut down as "hate speech" or, in this case, "sexual harassment."

What the alum is asking for is a return to the days of common decency and civil discourse. I can appreciate that wish, but what we have now is a case where codes of acceptable speech are enforced against one side and not the other.

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