University of New Hampshire: Student-Created Display on ‘Street Harassment’ Removed

In March 2017, Jordyn Haime, a freshman at the University of New Hampshire, worked with the university’s Sexual Harassment & Rape Prevention Program to create a display depicting the text of student-reported instances of unwelcome sexual remarks. Haime’s work was intended to be displayed during April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Within hours of the display’s installation in the university’s Memorial Union Building, it was removed at the direction of Dean of Students Ted Kirkpatrick, who cited the possibility that it might be seen by children or prospective students and their families. FIRE wrote to the university, explaining that the restriction on displays of “hate speech” and “profane/vulgar language” in the Memorial Union Building was unconstitutional.