College of William and Mary: Suppression of Affirmative Action Bake Sale
A student group critical of William and Mary's race-based affirmative action policies held an affirmative action bake sale parodying the school's policies. The student group contacted FIRE after the administration decided to censor the group's activity. After receiving much criticism in the media, the administration relented and allowed a second bake sale, but would not admit any wrongdoing.
"Victory for Free Speech at William & Mary," FIRE Press Release, February 2, 2004: Following FIRE's intervention, a student group at the College of William & Mary (W&M), whose "affirmative action bake sale" protest had been unlawfully censored by administrators in November 2003, proceeded successfully with an identical protest on January 27, 2004—this time without administrative interference. W&M's president, however, still refuses to admit wrongdoing in stopping the first protest, claiming that the group had not met "administrative requirements" in its earlier attempt to engage in constitutionally protected free speech.
"Statement from President Timothy J. Sullivan Regarding Affirmative Action Protest, January 27, 2004," January 27, 2004: William and Mary is strongly committed to freedom of expression under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. For that reason, the College has approved the request of a student group calling itself the Sons of Liberty to conduct a protest against affirmative action in the University Center. A similar event, held last semester, did not meet the administrative requirements we routinely impose on such activities. The application for Tuesdays event did.
"The Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Today, and the Pasadena Star-News on FIRE," March 3, 2004: Universities still do not comprehend that their contempt for free speech places them far, far outside of the mainstream of American public opinion. In particular, they seem continually surprised that the media, who live or die by the Bill of Rights, understand freedom of expression full well. The March 1 lead editorial of The Philadelphia Inquirer, an editorial in today's USA Today, and yet another editorial in the Pasadena Star-News offer a compelling textbook education, if academic administrators are willing to listen, in the relationship of higher education and freedom of speech.
