University now faces pressure to revise campus speech policies

Seven Hampton University students accused of violating school rules prohibiting demonstrations and distribution of literature on campus without permission have been informed of their punishment. Six of the students are required to perform community service -- 20 hours each for five students, 10 hours for one. One received only a warning.
ACLU of Virginia legal director Rebecca Glenberg advised the students at a disciplinary hearing last Friday. Because HU is a private school, student speech is not protected by the First Amendment. The ACLU argued that HU, as an academic institution, should still follow the spirit of the First Amendment and allow freedom of expression on campus.
A letter sent to students in advance of the hearing stated that they could face expulsion.
“We had hoped the students would not be punished at all, but at least none was kicked out of school,” said ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis. “No matter what the rules are, Hampton University officials would have had a lot of explaining to do if they expelled students for holding orderly and peaceful demonstrations on campus.”
“The students should not have had to endure this ordeal in the first place, but at least it has brought much needed attention to Hampton University’s repressive campus speech policies,” added Willis. “Now begins the work of convincing the school to revise its policies.”
On November 2, the seven students, all associated with Amnesty International, were part of a demonstration on New Orleans urban renewal, AIDS, homophobia, the prison industrial complex, the war in Iraq, and the crisis in Sudan.  The primary action taken by the students was to stand at the student center and hand out leaflets.  The students were accused of distributing flyers without permission and holding an unauthorized campus activity.
Under HU rules, all leafleting and other protest activities by students must be approved in advance.  Even then, only recognized student groups qualify to receive permission to engage in such activities. HU has refused to recognize an Amnesty International chapter, despite repeated attempts by students to establish the organization on campus.
The situation is nothing new to HU, which faced public criticism in 2003 after censoring Hampton Script, a student newspaper. After the student editors chose to run a story on cafeteria health-code violations in a manner not to the administration's liking, HU prevented the paper's distribution.

Contacts: Kent Willis and Rebecca Glenberg, 804/644-8022