University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Student Investigated for Facebook.com Comments About School Mascot Debate

Case Materials

"University of Illinois Threatens Student with Punishment for Online Speech," FIRE Press Release, February 15, 2007: The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is threatening to discipline a student for posting a hyperbolic comment on Facebook.com that the university interpreted as a threat. The comment concerned the debate over Illinois’ mascot, “Chief Illiniwek.” FIRE is calling on the public university to respect its constitutional obligations and immediately drop its investigation into what was unquestionably protected expression.
"FIRE Letter to Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman, January 30, 2007," January 30, 2007
"E-mail from Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman to University Community, January 9, 2007," January 9, 2007
"Press Release Issued by Illinois American Indian Studies Program Faculty and Staff at the Native American House, January 8, 2007," January 8, 2007
"Webpage of Facebook.com Group, 'If They Get Rid of the Chief I'm Becoming a Racist'," November 7, 2006

"Do College Republicans hate Allah?," Cathy Young, Reason Magazine, April 9, 2007
"Mascot retired," Joe Murray, The Evening Bulletin, February 20, 2007
"More than a mascot," Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, February 19, 2007