Speech First v. Killeen et al.

May 29, 2019 in Free Speech, University Governance & Reform at University of Illinois

Case Details

Case Status

Settled

Location

Illinois

Date Filed

2019

“On a regular basis, The University of Illinois sends a clear message to students who wish to engage in political and religious speech: there are some views that are welcome, and others that are not. Students deserve to be able to express themselves and voice their opinions without fear of investigation or punishment – which is why these policies must be reformed.”

Nicole Neily

On May 30, 2019, Speech First sued the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and its officials in federal court. The lawsuit challenged three policies:

  • A rule that required students to get the university’s approval before posting or handing out campaign materials for candidates in non-campus elections. Students who broke it could face discipline, including probation or dismissal.
  • A ban on “bias-motivated incidents,” enforced by the university’s Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART). The team could impose “corrective measures,” such as education programs or mediation, and incidents could go on a student’s permanent record.
  • “No Contact Directives,” which let officials order a student not to contact another student. A student who broke one could be dismissed.

Speech First argued these policies chill protected speech, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Read the initial complaint below:

Final-Illinois-Complaint (6)Download

Latest Lawsuit Updates

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In May 2019, Speech First, a national membership group of students, alumni, and others that defends free speech on campus, sued the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to protect its student members’ First Amendment rights. The lawsuit challenged four policies: the university’s requirement that political flyers be preapproved, its Bias Assessment Response Team, its housing […]

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On October 29, 2019, Speech First, a national membership group of students, alumni, and others that defends free speech on campus, filed its opening brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Speech First v. Killeen. The trial court had refused to issue a preliminary injunction, a court order that would […]

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On August 5, 2019, Speech First, a national membership group of students, alumni, and others that defends free speech on campus, filed a reply brief in Speech First v. Killeen in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Speech First asked the court for a preliminary injunction, a court order that would […]

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“On a regular basis, The University of Illinois sends a clear message to students who wish to engage in political and religious speech: there are some views that are welcome, and others that are not. Students deserve to be able to express themselves and voice their opinions without fear of investigation or punishment – which […]

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On May 30, 2019, Speech First, a national membership group of students, alumni, and others that defends free speech on campus, sued University of Illinois President Timothy Killeen and other university officials in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The lawsuit claims the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s speech rules violate […]

May 30, 2019, Lawsuit: Speech First v. Killeen et al.

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