University of Nevada at Reno: Unconstitutional Free Speech Zone Policy
At the University of Nevada at Reno, the university's policy designated only four small or remote areas on UNR's campus as "‘public forum' areas," and explicitly deemed the rest of the campus a non-public forum. Student activists, working with FIRE and the ACLU of Nevada, protested this unconstitutional policy and proposed a new policy that would open the public university campus to free speech. The students worked closely with UNR administrators, and were able to introduce a policy that designates the entire campus-save the interior of university buildings-as an "open public forum area."
- "Victory for Freedom of Speech: University of Nevada at Reno Abolishes ‘Free Speech Zones’," June 28, 2006: Students at the University of Nevada at Reno (UNR) are freer today, thanks to a new policy that designates the entire campus—save the interior of university buildings—as an “open public forum area.” The university’s previous policy designated only four small or remote areas on UNR’s campus as “‘public forum’ areas,” and explicitly deemed the rest of the campus a non-public forum. Student activists, working with FIRE and the ACLU of Nevada, protested this unconstitutional policy and proposed a new policy that would open the public university campus to free speech. The students worked closely with UNR administrators, who approved the policy earlier this month.
- "Free Speech Under Quarantine at University of Nevada, Reno," April 26, 2006: FIRE is calling for the repeal of an unlawful and immoral “free speech zone” policy at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). This policy quarantines free speech at UNR to four zones covering only a small percentage of the campus and places onerous bureaucratic restrictions on speech even within these zones.
- "Public Forum Policy at University of Nevada, Reno," April 26, 2006
- "Letter from University of Nevada, Reno Interim President Joseph Crowley to FIRE, April 17, 2006," April 17, 2006
- "James Girnus Speech to the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, April 5, 2006," April 5, 2006
- "FIRE Letter to University of Nevada, Reno Interim President Joseph Crowley, March 31, 2006," March 31, 2006
Case Materials
- "FIRE Applauds University of Nevada-Reno's Dropping of 'Speech Zones',"
by Jim Brown, Agape Press, July 5, 2006 - "Say what?,"
Chicago Sun-Times, April 30, 2006
