Red Light School

Northwestern 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: Seventh Circuit
Head of Institution: President Morton Schapiro
Northwestern University
Office of the President
633 Clark Street
Evanston, IL 60208
847-491-8413
nu-president@northwestern.edu
Website: http://www.northwestern.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)

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Discrimination and Harassment 11-12

Harassment -- whether verbal, physical,
or visual -- that is based on any of these
characteristics is a form of discrimination.
This includes harassing conduct affecting
tangible job benefits, interfering unreasonably with an individual's academic or work
performance, or creating what a reasonable
person would sense is an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
Examples of discrimination or harassment may include ...
Jokes or epithets about a person's
protected status; Teasing or practical
jokes directed at a person based on his or
her protected status; ... Verbal
abuse or insults about, directed at, or made
in the presence of an individual or group
of individuals in a protected group.
View full policy (PDF, 52 KB).

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Sexual Harassment 11-12

Sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature constitute
harassment when ...
* Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's academic or professional performance or creating what a reasonable person would sense as an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment, educational,
or living environment.
Some examples of sexual harassment may include:
...
* Unnecessary references to various parts of the body
* Remarks about a person's gender or sexual orientation
* Sexual innuendoes or humor
* Obscene gestures
* Sexual graffiti, pictures, or posters
* Sexually explicit profanity
* Stalking or cyberbullying
* e-mail and Internet use that violates this policy.
View full policy (PDF, 53 KB).

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Prohibited Conduct 11-12

Physical abuse of any person or any
action that threatens or endangers the emotional well-being, health, or safety of
any person (including oneself).
View full policy (PDF, 158 KB).

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

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Statement of Community Principles and Values 11-12

Civility and respect are expected behaviors.
View full policy (PDF, 93 KB).

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Civility, Mutual Respect, and Unacceptability of Violence on Campus 11-12

Expected behavior. Each community
member is expected to treat other
community members with civility and
respect, recognizing that disagreement
and informed debate are valued in an
academic community.
Unacceptable behavior. Demeaning,
intimidating, threatening, or violent
behaviors that affect the ability to
learn, work, or live in the University environment depart from the standard
for civility and respect. These behaviors
have no place in the academic
community.
View full policy (PDF, 100 KB).

Policies on Bias and Hate Speech

Red light: Student Handbook: Hate Crimes and Bias Incidents 11-12

[A] bias incident is defined as an act of conduct, speech, or expression to which a bias motive is evident as a contributing factor
(regardless of whether the act is criminal).
...
Sanctions will be imposed for students found to have committed bias incidents or hate crimes.
View full policy (PDF, 48 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Green light policy: Student Handbook: Student Rights 11-12

The rights of individual students include ... 3. Freedom to communicate, assemble,
and peaceably demonstrate;
4. Freedom to join organizations, to speak
freely, and to exercise the civil rights to
which any citizen of the United States
is entitled, as long as the student does
not claim to represent the institution.
View full policy (PDF, 38 KB).

NOTE: You must have Adobe Acrobat installed to view policies in PDF format.

The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in June 2012. 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.