In May 2023, Speech First, a national membership group of students, alumni, and others that defends free speech on campus, filed an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in the Supreme Court of Alabama in Young Americans for Liberty at University of Alabama in Huntsville v. St. John. The student group and student Joshua Greer challenged a university policy that requires approval before students can speak on campus.
Speech First argued that college campuses are at least “designated public forums” for students, places where speech gets strong protection. And under any test, the policy is unconstitutional because it is a “prior restraint,” a rule requiring permission before speaking, that gives university officials unlimited power to decide who may speak.
Read the full brief below:
