Santa Rosa Junior College: Overbroad Ban on "Unofficial" Use of College’s Initials
Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) has failed to lift an unconstitutional ban on "unofficial" use of the initials "SRJC" in private e-mail addresses and website domain names, chilling the expression of students and faculty. After a faculty member came to FIRE for help, FIRE asked SRJC to lift its overbroad ban and to clarify the First Amendment rights of SRJC community members. SRJC, however, has told FIRE it intends to continue with its unconstitutional efforts to ban unofficial use of the college's name.
- "Victory for Free Expression: UCLA Drops Unconstitutional Threats Against Internet Speech; Online Speech Still Threatened at Santa Rosa Junior College," August 21, 2009: The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has withdrawn its unconstitutional demand that a former student take down a website criticizing the university. UCLA had demanded that Tom Wilde shut down his private, non-commercial website, ucla-weeding101.info, by last Monday. Wilde turned to FIRE for help, and yesterday, only a few hours after FIRE publicized Wilde's case, UCLA informed FIRE that its demands against Wilde were being withdrawn.
- "Online Speech Threatened at UCLA and Santa Rosa Junior College," August 20, 2009: The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has unconstitutionally ordered a former student to take down a website criticizing UCLA or else face criminal and civil action. Tom Wilde's private, non-commercial website is located at ucla-weeding101.info. After UCLA demanded he take down his site by this past Monday, Wilde, who has so far refused to comply, came to FIRE for help.
- "SRJC President Robert Agrella's Note To Faculty and Staff," August 17, 2009
- "SRJC President Robert Agrella's Letter to California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott," August 11, 2009
- "FIRE Letter to California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, August 5, 2009," August 6, 2009
- "Free Speech Chilled at Santa Rosa Junior College: Administration Threatens Those Who Use Its Initials in Private E-mail Addresses and Domain Names," July 20, 2009: Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) has failed to lift an unconstitutional ban on "unofficial" use of the initials "SRJC" in private e-mail addresses and website domain names, chilling the expression of students and faculty. After a faculty member came to FIRE for help, FIRE asked SRJC to lift its overbroad ban and to clarify the First Amendment rights of SRJC community members. SRJC, however, has told FIRE it intends to continue with its unconstitutional efforts to ban unofficial use of the college's name.
- "Response from President Robert Agrella," July 16, 2009
- "FIRE Letter to Santa Rosa Junior College President Robert Agrella," July 1, 2009
- "SRJC threatens to sue students, faculty over private e-mail accounts," The Press Democrat, May 8, 2009
- "Agrella: SRJC will continue e-mail policy to protect its name," The Press Democrat, May 8, 2009
- "E-mail from Mary Kay Rudolph to SRJC Staff and Faculty Members," May 5, 2009
Case Materials
- "Online Speech Threatened at UCLA and Santa Rosa Junior College," by Peter Bonilla, August 20, 2009
- "FIRE Keeps Pressure on Santa Rosa Junior College Regarding Overbroad Ban on 'Unofficial' Name Usage," by Adam Kissel, August 6, 2009
- "Santa Rosa Junior College Still Doesn’t Understand What ‘Overbroad’ Means," by Adam Kissel, July 21, 2009
- "Free Speech Chilled at Santa Rosa Junior College: Administration Threatens Those Who Use Its Initials in Private E-mail Addresses and Domain Names," by Peter Bonilla, July 20, 2009
- "Santa Rosa Junior College Unconstitutionally Bans Use of "SRJC" in E-Mail Addresses," by Adam Kissel, July 1, 2009
