{"id":2025186,"date":"2023-09-07T20:29:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T00:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/students-file-supreme-court-petition-against-college-speech-police\/"},"modified":"2023-09-07T20:31:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T00:31:32","slug":"students-file-supreme-court-petition-against-college-speech-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/students-file-supreme-court-petition-against-college-speech-police\/","title":{"rendered":"Students sue college over &#8216;speech police&#8217; in Supreme Court petition."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstudents-file-supreme-court-petition-against-college-speech-police%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2025186&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Free speech group \u201cSpeech First\u201d\u2063 has filed a petition in the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether\u2062 bias-response \u200bteams at \u2063universities violate the \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/states-push-to-rein-in-big-tech-as-federal-gears-grind-slow\/\" title=\"States Push to Rein in Big Tech as Federal Gears Grind Slow\">free speech rights<\/a> of students.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cHundreds of universities have a \u2018bias-response team\u2019\u2014an\u2064 official entity \u200cthat solicits reports of bias,\u2063 tracks them, investigates them, asks to meet with the perpetrators, and threatens to refer students for formal discipline,\u201d the Aug. 14 petition (<a href=\"https:\/\/speechfirst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Speech-First-Petition-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pdf<\/a>) states.\u2062 \u201cUniversities formally define \u2018bias\u2019 \u200dto cover wide swaths of protected \u2063speech. Bias-response teams are staffed by\u200c administrators, disciplinarians, and even police\u200b officers\u2014a literal speech police.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>The Bias Intervention Response Team (BIRT) at Virginia Tech<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>BIRT claims that its purpose is to \u201celiminate\u201d biased speech through \u201cimmediate direct or indirect responses to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-speech-organization-sues-university-of-central-florida-for-discriminatory-speech-policies\/\" title=\"Free Speech Organization Sues University of Central Florida For \u2018Discriminatory\u2019 Speech Policies\">bias-related incidents<\/a>,\u201d the petition said \u2063while pointing out that the university\u2019s definition of a \u200c\u201cbias incident\u201d is too broad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/watchdog-group-ranks-harvard-as-americas-worst-school-for-free-speech-5487078\">Watchdog Group Ranks Harvard as America&#8217;s Worst School for \u2062Free Speech<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/6\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/jordan-peterson-vows-to-fight-for-free-speech-for-all-professionals-5486170\">Jordan Peterson Vows to Fight for Free\u200b Speech for All Professionals<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/4\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Bias incidents are said to be expressions against a person or a group based on \u201cage, color, disability, gender (including pregnancy), gender identity, \u200dgender expression, genetic information, national\u2063 origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other\u200d basis protected by law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speech First says\u200b that some\u200b of its members who currently attend Virginia Tech have views that are \u201cunpopular\u201d and \u201ccontroversial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One student believes biological males cannot be female just because they identify that way. Another student believes Black\u200d Lives\u200b Matter is \u201cdestructive and fundamentally racist\u201d and that \u2062those who cross\u200b the border should be referred to as \u201cillegal aliens,\u201d according to the petition.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThese students censor their speech because of the University\u2019s bias-incidents policy \u2026 They fear that students, faculty members, or others will report them to university \u200bofficials for committing a \u200dbias incident.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since the definition of\u200c what constitutes a bias is broad and vague,\u200c the students \u201cknow that someone will find their speech to be biased\u201d and report such speech to BIRT, resulting in negative repercussions, it said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor example, they fear that the Dean will keep a dossier on them, share the allegations with others at the university, call \u200cthem in for meetings or \u2018interventions\u2019, or refer the allegations to disciplinary authorities, including the Office of Student Conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The case has gone to five circuit courts, with opinions of these courts split 3-2.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Fifth, Sixth, \u200band Eleventh Circuits hold that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/students-file-supreme-court-petition-against-college-speech-police\/\" title=\"Students sue college over 'speech police' in Supreme Court petition.\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-asked-to-intervene-in-fairfax-and-virginia-tech-education-lawsuits\/\" title=\"Supreme Court urged to step in on Fairfax and Virginia Tech education lawsuits.\">bias-response teams<\/a> objectively chill students\u2019 speech<\/a>; but the Fourth\u200c and Seventh Circuits hold that they don\u2019t,\u201d the petition said. \u200b\u201cThe question presented is: Whether bias-response teams objectively chill students\u2019 speech.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As circuit courts could not resolve the matter, Speech First asked the Supreme Court\u200d to grant a\u200d review of the case.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The 2023 term of the Supreme\u2063 Court begins in October. It \u2062takes four justices to \u200cvote in \u200dfavor of the petition to hear oral arguments regarding the case.<\/p>\n<h2>Free\u200b Speech Suppression on American Campuses<\/h2>\n<p>At \u2064Virginia \u200bTech,\u2062 students can report a bias incident through\u200b an online reporting tool, \u2064social media, or email. Complaints can be made anonymously. Reported information will include the \u200dalleged perpetrator\u2019s name, email address, and role\u2064 in a student organization.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cBias reports often involve protected speech,\u201d the petition said.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A person walks through the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., on December 8, 2011. (Jared Soares\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Some \u200cof the incidents accused of having a\u200c bias include writing \u201cSaudi Arabia\u201d on a whiteboard outside of a student\u2019s dorm room, describing female students as unathletic, \u2063and telling a \u200djoke that included Caitlyn Jenner\u2019s \u201cdeadname,\u201d which refers to a transgender person\u2019s birth\u200c name.<\/p>\n<p>Once BIRT determines that a bias incident is valid, it will engage in an \u201cintervention\u201d\u200b with the student that is \u201ceducational\u2062 or restorative.\u201d And if \u201cappropriate,\u201d the incident may even\u200b be \u200creferred to the police department, Threat Assessment Team, or Title IX office.<\/p>\n<p>The alleged suppression of speech at Virginia\u2064 Tech is one of many such incidents in American educational\u2062 institutions.<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has reached out \u200cto Virginia Tech for comment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Speech First had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/lawsuit-alleges-oklahoma-state-universitys-policies-violate-free-speech-5000157\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filed<\/a> a lawsuit against Oklahoma State University (OSU) earlier this\u200b year, accusing the university of implementing policies that \u201cdeter, \u2063suppress, and punish speech about political and social issues of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cUnder these\u2062 policies, students can be disciplined for\u2062 ambiguously defined \u200c\u2018intimidating\u2019 speech, discussing politics\u2064 in emails, commenting in class, or even, \u2063in the words of \u200dthe University, for showing &#8216;a disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing,\u2019\u201d the group said in a Jan. 10 statement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In July, Southern Illinois Univ<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Free speech group &#8220;Speech First&#8221; has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to assess if universities&#8217; bias-response teams infringe on students&#8217; free speech rights. These teams receive and investigate reports of bias, aiming to meet with and potentially refer the perpetrators. The group questions the impact of such teams on free expression at numerous universities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":2025187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2025186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2025186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2025187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2025186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2025186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2025186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}