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Holiday cheer is all around, but that hasn’t stopped Grinchy colleges from sporting a frown.

For 25 years, FIREhas been closely tracking efforts by universities to stymie student speech through onerous policies and codes of conduct. Perched angrily atop , grumpy administrators have scolded students for “aggressive” pointing, dressing up in costume, and even telling their own life stories. 

And now, according to the acrimonious administrators at Virginia Union University, statements “harmful or damaging to the university’s reputation” or that undermine “the university or its values” are not to be tolerated. These Grinches need to ditch their thin, green skin and allow the students of VUU-ville to freely express themselves.

As a private school, VUU certainly talks a good game about protecting students’ freedom of expression. The university  that enrolled students enjoy “the rights of freedom of expression and belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly,” and  to “fostering an educational environment that allows for freedom of speech and expression in accordance with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” 

Unfortunately, these lofty promises shrank “” when Richmond’s CBS 6 News  on Oct. 29 detailing concerns raised by VUU students about the alleged lack of police presence on campus.

A hoopla descended on VUU-ville, and administrators promptly told students that dissent would not be tolerated. In an email sent shortly after the story was published, the university Grinches made clear that “statements made that are harmful or damaging to the university’s reputation” violate the school’s . Also on the no-go list: “speech that undermines the university or its values.”

This policy doesn’t mention the restrictions listed in the school’s email, but troublingly : “Persons desiring to publicize events or otherwise release information about the University must first contact the Office of University Relations.” 

This “prior restraint” —  — gives the university seemingly-unlimited authority to veto any criticism or reporting about the university. The Supreme Court said it best: prior restraints are “the most serious and the least tolerable infringement” of free speech.

Moreover, the not-so-cheerful dictates spelled out in the email (screenshotted above) to the students of VUU-ville prohibit a wide array of student speech. FIREare effectively barred from speaking out on everything from grading policies to policing and how the university deals with protests. And, with the school’s vague prohibition on speech that “undermines . . . values,” it’s hard to figure out exactly what kind of speech the university is banning. 

For example, one “core value”  by the university is “innovation,” which encompasses “new ideas and processes.”Would a student statement or editorial critical of artificial intelligence be construed by the university as undermining its core values? Another value  is “spiritual formation,” which includes, “the regular practice of prayer, worship, silence, and mediation that matures one’s relationships, values, and life purpose.” FIREare left wondering whether speech critical of religion or even a particular religion will be punished by the university.

VUU should rewrite its Media Communications policy and make clear that students are free to speak their minds about the latest goings-on at the university. 

Given its robust free speech promises, VUU’s Grinchy administrators cannot rightly expect students to remain silent about their own values, which may well conflict with the university’s. They certainly cannot expect students to remain silent about safety concerns, or to share those concerns only privately or with administrators.

To be sure, there’s no issue with VUU restricting or regulating speech made by employees on behalf of the university. Under First Amendment principles, VUU can speak its mind as an institution. However, it generally cannot force its views on others or stifle speech outside of reasonable “time, place, and manner” restrictions. FIREare not employees and cannot be regulated as university mouthpieces. 

Even someone who has spent the entirety of their life perched up on Mount Crumpit would not confuse students’ concerns published in CBS 6 News’  with official university statements. In any case, VUU’s ban on speech that is “harmful or damaging to the university’s reputation” or “undermines . . . values” held by the university reaches far beyond cases where student speech may be confused for employee speech. 

On Nov. 14, ��֭���� wrote to VUU expressing these concerns and calling on the university to allow students to freely express themselves. Sadly, the university never responded — which is why FIREis shining a light on the speech-squelching policy now.

VUU should rewrite its Media Communications policy and make clear that students are free to speak their minds about the latest goings-on at the university. It’s time for VUU to stop Grinching around and spread the holiday joy of free expression.