Sources & Extracts

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Dee's position is in some ways similar to positions taken by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU has published several policy statements on campus speech codes. Their argument is constitutional, not ethical; but it echoes Dee's position. The ACLU policy includes the following sections:
1. Freedom of thought and expression are indispensable to the pursuit of knowledge and the dialogue and dispute that characterize meaningful education. . . .The ACLU opposes all campus regulations which interfere with the freedom of professors, students and administrators to teach, learn, discuss and debate or to express ideas, opinions or feelings in classroom, public or private discourse. . . .
3. This policy does not prohibit colleges and universities from enacting disciplinary codes aimed at restricting acts of harassment, intimidation and invasion of privacy. Although "harassment," "intimidation," and "invasion of privacy" are imprecise terms susceptible of impermissibly overbroad application, each term defines a type of conduct which is legally proscribed in many jurisdictions when directed at a specific individual or individuals and when intended to frighten, coerce, or unreasonably harry or intrude upon its target.
Reference: This excerpt was taken from the ACLU Policy Statement: Free Speech and Bias on College Campuses. The statement was adopted in 1990.