Free Speech Flap at Montclair

freespeechBy Joshua Einstein | The Save Jersey Blog

Free speech is one of our fundamental first freedoms, Save Jerseyans, but it’s in danger at Montclair State University. 

A pillar of classical liberalism and the American way of life is under assault by those who have been charged to pass its wisdom on to the next generation of citizens.

The reported facts by NJ.com: Montclair graduate student Joe Aziz was recently suspended and banned from campus. His alleged offense? Aziz purportedly commented on a Facebook-posted video. The video (which has since been taken down) featured a heckler and a female friend at a Steve Lonegan speaking event on campus.

Aziz made light of the female’s weight and, not long after he posted his comments, he received a University No-Contact Order (viewable here: http://thefire.org/article/15323.html)…

I’ve since read the publicly posted Montclair University Code of Conduct (http://www.montclair.edu/dean-of-students/student-conduct/code-conduct/), the Students Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.montclair.edu/dean-of-students/handbook/rights-responsibilities/), and the University Policies page (http://www.montclair.edu/dean-of-students/handbook/university-policies/#d.en.14538); this blogger can’t understand how Aziz’s actions qualify as a “violation of University policies or community standards.”

The University’s second letter (http://thefire.org/article/15324.html) appeared to state that Aziz wasn’t ultimately culpable for the substantive allegations, but since he exercised his freedom of speech by discussing the situation, his suspension was upheld and he faces a permanent black mark on his academic record.

Aziz’s case has attracted the attention of the well-known Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)  (who sent a letter to the University: http://thefire.org/article/15322.html) and has received coverage from mainstream media outlets including The Star Ledger(http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/civil_liberty_group_defends_mo.html).

I am encouraging readers to contact the University and respectfully ask that they respect students’ First Amendment rights and reconsider their utterly strange and anti-free speech decision.

 

Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein
About Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein 59 Articles
Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein is an old school classical liberal of the smaller government meets neoconservative fusionist variety. As a sometimes Kirkian, sometimes Objectivist, he supports the civic celebration of the Christian foundations of the West, the deregulation of marriage, the legalization of drugs, and the Blue Laws. He is also the NJGOP State Committeeman from Hudson County.

3 Comments

  1. Read this on NJ.Com. Typical academia. Academic elites scream about free speech unless it 's something they disagree with. The kid in this story is not allowed to exercise free speech in a Facebook group? Really? Hope he wins the case.

  2. It makes me wonder what would have happened if he had "made light" of Governor Christie's weight…

  3. I work at one college and teach at another and I now wonder just how much of my FB posts would be considered "offensive" to some of the liberals on our campuses.

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