Marquette Dental Student Suspended For Blogging

whiteSanjuro writes "Reported first by the bloggers, and now the mainstream press, is a story of a student being suspended by his university for the rest of the academic year because of entries in the student's blog which the university did not view favorably. It has already had some chilling effects and looks like it will be setting a standard that students at private universities aren't guaranteed free speech online. The student (who wishes to remain anonymous) is appealing the university's decision in an effort to remain in classes and finish out the current semester, but even the terms of re-admittance (pdf) leave the blogger subject to probation, minus a scholarship, and prohibit future free blogging. Perhaps now is the time to consider joining the EFF if you attend a private university and have a blog."

Comments

Re:Freedom is a two-way street

[way2trivial]

and does marquette take no government funding?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Marquette+uni versity+site%3Agov

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q= Marquette+university+site%3Amil

here's a goody (if old) quick result
http://www.dodig.mil/Inspections/APO/SingleAudit/C OGOVER.htm
in part "Subpart D, Section __.400 of OMB Circular A-133 requires recipients expending more than $25 million a year in Federal awards to have a cognizant agency for audit. "

and marquette is on that list.

Re:Refund

[jmp_nyc]

The US Constitution guarentees that you will not suffer the consequences of censorship nor retaliation for what you say - that is freedom of speech.

Where do you see that in the Constitution? All I see is the bit in the First Amendment saying that "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or the press..." It says nothing about a private institution reserving the right to determine the terms under which it will do business with an individual.

Now, you don't have to like it, but if a university accepts a student's tuition on the condition that they adhere to a policy of conduct, the university has every right to enforce that policy. It's just like any contract between individuals. I could hire you to work for me, and include in the conditions of your employment that you don't disagree with me in public. I could then fire you with cause if you violate that contract, and the government would back me up on enforcing the contract. No one forced this student to choose Marquette as opposed to any other school.
-JMP

Re:Refund

[Pantero Blanco]

He isn't being criminally or civilly charged, and it's not a state school. A private school has the right to limit itself to students who only follow a particular political, religious, or cultural view if it wants, because it's not funded by the Government, but by private citizens. You can't tell them who's going to benefit from their money. Now, I agree that the school in question is doing something asinine, but it's not illegal.

EFF? Try FIRE

[Dachannien]

Perhaps now is the time to consider joining the EFF if you attend a private university and have a blog.

Perhaps. But the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education specializes in free-speech issues at educational institutions, rather than dealing with every conceivable online issue like the EFF does.

Re:Refund

[lukewarmfusion]

Let's see here...

http://www.boysschoolscoalition.org/
http://www.ncgs.org/
http://www.scouting.org/
http://www.girlscouts.org/

Information on the discrimination areas you're thinking of...
http://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/titleix.htm

Finally, an excerpt which is the most relevant part of this entire discussion:

"...subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance..."

Private schools, clubs, groups - the first amendment is not relevant to such entities.

OT

[CaymanIslandCarpedie]

I'd never suggest harassing anyone, but if you want to contact the ass-hat responsible for this and let them know what you think about it here is his info from the Marquette directory.

Name: Lynch, Dr. Denis P.
Phone: (414) 288-7267
Position: Professor of Surgical Sciences and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Department/Office: School of Dentistry/Office of the Dean
Location: Dental School 304C
Email Address: denis.lynch@marquette.edu