Free Speech | Photo by Rose Taylor | The Wright State Guardian
On Dec. 4 and 5, various Wright State University departments participated in a community talk about free speech and hate speech and how these affect Wright State University.
What is free speech?
Free speech falls under the First Amendment and is when someone can say or do what they want in reason.
“It’s one of your rights as an American to free speech,” Sean Culley, vice president of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, said.
The First Amendment allows free speech to be expressed in any public space. The word “public” is very important in this context because if you work for a private entity, you have to keep their standards in mind.
“It’s important to recognize that you can have consequences for the things you say. While certain things may not necessarily be considered ‘hate speech,’ you may still get in trouble because it may not follow the rules for the company,” Daniel Palmer, government affair specialist at WSU, said.
What is hate speech?
The idea of hate speech is considered a slippery slope. With how the First Amendment is written, very little can necessarily be considered “illegal hate speech,” since there is no legal definition of hate speech.
“Speech can be hateful. Someone can say something or do something nasty to you, but if they are not harassing you, using fighting words with you or threatening you, legally they aren’t doing anything wrong,” Culley said.
All the speakers agreed that those were adequate guidelines that fall under hate speech. The term “fighting words” was a point of contention at the talk, however.
“Well, it's so subjective honestly. What might be considered ‘fighting words’ to one person might be a joke to another. There is no law really on what is considered ‘fighting words,’” Stephanie Allen from Student Legal Services said.
The overall definition of hate speech that the group landed on was “anything that a reasonable person would consider a threat.”
Free speech at WSU
Students are able to express their free speech on campus. The current demonstration policy, University Policy 1260, protects student voices while placing limits on unprotected speech, such as obscene or defamatory speech.
Officer Kurt Holden, director of Public Safety, pointed out that Wright State Police is there to protect individuals who are engaging in free speech activities.
“We may not agree with what is being protested, but the whole idea of us being there is to protect all parties and make sure that students are following what they are supposed to do,” Holden stated.
There have been many demonstrations on campus, including a recent gun violence protest on Nov. 29.
“I think it’s nice that we are able to speak freely. I think it's important to our college experience to be around many ideas. [WSU] allows us to discover the truths of the world and form opinions,” Apidae Collins, a Chemistry major who was in attendance, said.
If a student or faculty member feels that their First Amendment right is infringed, they can file a report with the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct or the Dean of Students’ office.
