Princeton University

A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech. Read more here.

Public or Private: Private
Federal Circuit: Third Circuit
Head of Institution: President Shirley M Tilghman
Princeton University
Office of the President
One Nassau Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544
609-258-6100
smt@princeton.edu
Website: http://www.princeton.edu

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On this page, FIRE has excerpted policies that address speech and expression. You may download the full policy in .pdf form, below.

Restrictions on Expressive Rights

Harassment Policies (Learn More)

Nondiscrimination/Anti-Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures 10-11

Listed below are examples of behavior that can constitute such harassment. The list is not allinclusive; in addition, each situation must be considered in light of the specific facts and circumstances
to determine if harassment has occurred.
* Unwelcome jokes or comments about a legally protected characteristic (e.g., racial or ethnic
jokes);
* Disparaging remarks to a person about a legally protected characteristic (e.g., negative or
offensive remarks or jokes about a person's religion or religious garments);
* Displaying negative or offensive posters or pictures about a legally protected characteristic;
* Electronic communications, such as e-mail, text messaging and internet use, that violate this
Policy; and
* Stereotyping
Listed below are examples of behavior that can constitute sexual harassment. The list is not allinclusive; in addition, each situation must be considered in light of the specific facts and circumstances
to determine if sexual harassment has occurred.
* Pressure for sexual activity or sexual favors;
* Unwelcome touching of a person’s body, hair or clothing;
* Unwelcome sexual jokes or comments (including favorable comments about someone’s
gender, body, clothing, appearance, etc.);
* Disparaging remarks to a person about his/her gender or body;
* Asking about a person’s sexual fantasies or sexual activities;
* Repeatedly asking for a date after the person has said no;
* Nonverbal behavior, such as making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements;
* Displaying sexually explicit posters or pictures; and
* Electronic communications, such as e-mail, text messaging and internet use, that violate this
Policy.
View full policy (PDF, 4385 KB).

Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- Respect for Others 10-11

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: ... These behaviors are sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's educational experience, working conditions, or living conditions by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
View full policy (PDF, 313 KB).

Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- Respect for Others 10-11

At Princeton University, unlawful harassment is defined as unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that is directed at a person because of his/her race, creed, color, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, veteran's status, marital or domestic partnership status, affectional or sexual orientation or other classification protected by applicable law, when these behaviors are sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's educational experience, working conditions, or living conditions by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
View full policy (PDF, 313 KB).

Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility (Learn More)

Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations - Respect for Others 10-11

Actions which make the atmosphere intimidating, threatening, or hostile to individuals are therefore regarded as serious offenses. Abusive or harassing behavior, verbal or physical, which demeans, intimidates, threatens, or injures another because of personal characteristics or beliefs or their expression, is subject to University disciplinary sanctions as described above. Examples of personal characteristics or beliefs include but are not limited to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and handicap.
View full policy (PDF, 313 KB).

Free Speech Zones

Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- Peaceful Dissent, Protests and Demonstrations 10-11

All individuals and groups planning to engage in activities of the sort described in the previous paragraph should seek approval from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. ... In asking groups and individuals to seek prior approval for schedule and location, the University's goal is not to restrict free speech or peaceable assembly. Rather, it is to give the University the opportunity to provide space that accommodates the reasonable needs of both the University community and those engaged in acts of speech or protest. The University reserves the right to determine the time, place, and manner of all such activities.
View full policy (PDF, 313 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Princeton University Information Technology Policy 10-11

You must be sensitive to the public nature of shared facilities, and take care not to display on workstations in such locations inappropriate images, sounds or messages which could create an atmosphere of menace or harassment for others.

You also must refrain from transmitting to others in any location inappropriate images, sounds or messages that are clearly threatening, hostile, or harassing in contradiction to the code of civility defined in RRR.
Using the campus technologies or access to network technologies provided by the
University under its name, or in any other venue in which you are acting as an agent of the
University, you must refrain from creating and sending, posting, or displaying, or causing
to be sent or posted, or displayed, or assisting to create and send or cause to be sent, posted,
or displayed, any malicious, harassing, or libelous messages or statements regarding another
person, via e-mail, instant message, text message, Twitter or voice mail, by posting to blogs,
mailing lists, social networks or newsgroups, by posting to the World Wide Web, by issuing
as a virtual reality avatar, or by inclusion in a video produced for broadcast via the campus
network, TigerTV, or YouTube or similar service.
View full policy (PDF, 21274 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations 10-11

The central purposes of a University are the pursuit of truth, the discovery of new knowledge through scholarship and research, the teaching and general development of students, and the transmission of knowledge and learning to society at large. Free inquiry and free expression within the academic community are indispensable to the achievement of these goals.
View full policy (PDF, 313 KB).

Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- Peaceful Dissent, Protests and Demonstrations 10-11

Free speech and peaceable assembly are basic requirements of the University as a center for free inquiry and the search for knowledge and insight.
View full policy (PDF, 313 KB).

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The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in June 2011. According to FIRE’s research the substantive policies are current at least until this date. Directory information, including the name of the president of the college or university, may have been updated more recently. If any policy has been revised, or if you believe that we are in error, please contact us.