Case Details
Case Status
Settled
Location
Iowa
Date Filed
January 2nd, 2020
On January 2, 2020, Speech First, a national membership group of students, alumni, and others that defends free speech on campus, sued Iowa State University (ISU) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The suit argued that three ISU policies violated the First Amendment, which protects free speech:
- A chalking rule. Only registered student groups could chalk, and only to advertise events.
- An email rule. It banned using a school email account “to solicit support for a candidate or ballot measure.”
- The Campus Climate Reporting System. This team took reports of speech that someone saw as “demeaning” or “taunting.” ISU had once listed “Build the wall” as an example.
“Iowa State University maintains a series of policies that have both the purpose and the effect of chilling student speech. One month out from a major political primary, students have been significantly – and unconstitutionally – burdened from participating in the political process.”
Nicole Neily
Read the full complaint below: