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University of North Carolina System: State of the First Amendment

FIRE teamed up with the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy to release the Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System. The Report notes that UNC System's many speech codes and illiberal restrictions on religious groups would likely not survive a legal challenge. It also reveals that "13 out of the 16 schools in the UNC System have at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech."

Case Materials

• "Report Exposes Extensive Constitutional Violations in University of North Carolina System," January 10, 2006: Today, FIRE and the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy released their Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System. The Report explains precisely what the First Amendment obligations of the UNC System schools are—and shows that most of them are emphatically not meeting those obligations.
• "The State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System," January 10, 2006

Media Coverage

• "NCSA, UNC accused of restricting free speech,"
  by William Davis, The Kudzu Gazette, July 2, 2007
• "Are colleges trying to be too nice?,"
  by Barry Smith, The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.), January 24, 2006
• "Republicans and Libertarians, unite!,"
  by Mike Adams, Townhall.com, January 24, 2006
• "First Amendment covers campuses, too,"
  News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), January 22, 2006
• "UNC-G loses ground in free speech battle,"
  by Ashley Christian, The Daily Tar Heel (UNC-CH), January 19, 2006
• "A right not to be nice,"
  by Barry Smith, Times-News (Burlington, N.C.), January 19, 2006
• "UNC System Suppressing Free Speech on Campuses, Says FIRE,"
  by Jim Brown and Jody Brown, Agape Press, January 17, 2006
• "Colleges to avoid, Part III,"
  by Mike Adams, Townhall.com, January 17, 2006
• "That's unconstitutional!,"
  The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), January 15, 2006
• "Speech limits hurt purpose of college,"
  by Ray Watters, The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), January 14, 2006
• "NC university system under fire,"
  WWAY (ABC Affiliate, Wilmington, N.C.), January 12, 2006
• "Report blasts UNC's 'speech codes',"
  by Jane Stancill, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), January 11, 2006
• "Report outlines limits on free speech,"
  by Erin France, The Daily Tar Heel (UNC-CH), January 11, 2006
• "City & State Briefs,"
  The Chronicle (Duke Univ.), January 11, 2006
• "Report: School limits on free speech illegal,"
  News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), January 11, 2006
• "Report says state universities illegally limit free speech,"
  Associated Press, January 10, 2006