Table of Contents
'Free Speech Semester' at Western Carolina
On Monday, Western Carolina University (WCU) commenced a semester-long "Celebration of the First Amendment" with a presentation by Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center. The presentation was sponsored by WCU's campus newspaper, The Western Carolinian, and funded by a 2010-11 Louis Ingelhard First Amendment Award Grant from the College Media Association.
WCU is one of the 27 percent of schools we reviewed in our 2011 speech code report that have yellow-light ratings, which means that it has policies that could too easily be used to ban or excessively regulate protected speech.
Taking a look at these policies and thinking about ways to get WCU's Spotlight rating to green would be a great starting point for WCU students to examine the importance of free speech on campus.
Recent Articles
FIRE’s award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.
![The First Amendment at the Supreme Court](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/media/images/podcasts/5762661e-257c-4f57-9026-006e2517a821.jpg?h=f405c703&itok=cri-N6wG)
The First Amendment at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court term is over. We review its First Amendment cases. Joining the show are FIRE Chief Counsel Bob Corn-Revere, FIRE General Counsel Ronnie London, and Institute for Justice Deputy Litigation Director Robert McNamara. and gain...
![Rapper BG arrives at the 4th Annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors ceremony at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2024/07/Rapper%20Christopher%20%2522BG%2522%20Dorsey.jpeg?h=47b018a0&itok=zWNPbUPp)
Judge rules rapper B.G. must submit all lyrics to the feds before he records or performs them
![Woman holding placard sign with text No Excuse for Animal Abuse](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2024/07/Woman%20holding%20placard%20sign%20with%20text%20No%20Excuse%20for%20Animal%20Abuse.jpg?h=5325492e&itok=u7hNaQxZ)
How the First Amendment bolstered the animal rights movement
![University of Michigan students walk out for to protest admin proposed disruptive activity policy](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2024/07/University%20of%20Michigan%20students%20walk%20out%20for%20to%20protest%20admin%20proposed%20disruptive%20activity%20policy.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=8KytbVDO)