CARBONDALE - An advocacy group says, when it comes to providing a campus that is open to freedom of speech, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is failing.

In a letter addressed to SIUC Chancellor Sam Goldman, officials with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education say the university's free speech policy is unconstitutional.

Specifically, FIRE alleges the university employs a protest policy that "chills expression on SIUC's campus and ignores constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech."

SIUC uses a free speech zone, located south of Anthony Hall north of McAndrew Stadium between two parking lots, as a spot where students are free to protest.

But FIRE said free speech should not be restricted anywhere on campus.

"SIUC's protest policy runs afoul of both the First Amendment and SIUC's own commitments to free speech by restricting speech and assembly to just one small area of its large campus," the letter reads. "As a public institution, SIUC is legally obligated to uphold the First Amendment rights of its students and faculty. It has failed to do so."

Two SIUC professors were among the letter's signers: Jonathon Bean, who works in the history department and Lenny Gross who works in the school of law.

Gross, who is also the chair of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the SIUC campus should be treated no differently than anywhere else in terms of where free speech is allowed.

"I think there have been incidences in the past where people have been told to desist from protesting and where they have been forced out of meetings where they have been protesting in areas not in designated free speech zones," he said. "It's important to stand up for free speech rights. You don't lose them just because you are a student or faculty member."

Bean, who is president of the Illinois Association of Scholars, said free speech should be a given.

"The position is that free speech is the default on college campuses, currently it's the exception and it's limited to zones," he said of SIUC.

In the letter, FIRE outlines nine other campuses where they have won challenges to a school's free speech policy. FIRE also requests a response from the University by Jan. 12.

Chancellor Sam Goldman said he has not had a chance to read the letter.

"I received it just this morning and I'll be reading it," he said. "We'll be studying it to reply by that time (Jan. 12)."

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

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