Free Speech in an Academic Setting

In the days preceding and following Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia's campus, numerous faculty members, student groups, and administrators have spoken out; some to commend, some to criticize, and some merely to comment.

After the speaking engagement was publicized, the Law School Student Senate, of which we are members, met to discuss what Senate reaction, if any, was appropriate. Obviously, in a group comprising over 50 members, a variety of differing and conflicting views were expressed. Ultimately, the elected student representative body of the Law School declined to issue any sort of positional statement regarding the event. Perceiving a lack of consensus within ourselves, and certainly within the law school, we concluded that it would be inappropriate for us to issue a positional statement on behalf of the entire student body. Rather than impose our own views on others, we sought to encourage the diversity of thoughts and opinions that makes the law school community so valuable.

We therefore decided to craft a response, which would draw on the unique resources available at the law school, to promote dialogue and debate in a respectful, yet thought-provoking forum. We have organized a panel discussion with members of the law faculty who are leading scholars on first amendment issues, to examine what limits, if any, there are or should be to free speech in an academic setting. This panel will explore the key concepts underlying the first amendment, question what bearing federal law should have on University policy, and scrutinize the interplay between protected speech and hate crimes.

The incidents of vandalism and hatred that have tarnished this campus in the past few weeks only underscore the importance of this discussion. While these events did not occur on the law school campus itself, we nonetheless feel and express our solidarity with the larger University community. Further, as students and professors of the law, we feel a special obligation to help others, to the extent that we can, explore and question the legal issues that underlie this debate. To be meaningful, debate must be informed. Our panel seeks to make present and future debate meaningful by arming students with knowledge of the legal framework and perspectives underlying free speech on our campus.

The "Free Speech in an Academic Setting" panel will take place on Tuesday, October 16th, in Jerome Greene Hall (corner of 116th and Amsterdam), Room 106, at 6:00 PM. The authors are students in the Law Schol and members of the Law School Student Senate.