Board of Trustees discusses campus free speech

At the Utah State University Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Legal Affairs and General Counsel Vice President Mica McKinney shared the need to balance inclusion and free speech on campus. 

“There’s a conflict between inclusion and free speech,” McKinney said. “Where do we draw the line for harassment while still allowing people freedom of speech?” Although USU hasn’t faced many issues with this debate, it’s a national issue, McKinney said.. 

On campus, McKinney said students are free to express their opinions on any open space. Other universities have “free speech zones,” where people can use their free speech, she said. McKinney said students can’t express their opinions outside of these zones, though, which is why they’re prohibited under one of Utah’s state laws. 

“The university may comment on an expressive act, but we can’t stop it if it isn’t against protocol,” McKinney said. “People wonder if the content said in classes is protected under freedom of speech.”

“Not a lot of students know free speech isn’t restricted,” Utah State University Student Association President Sami Ahmed said. “If there’s something people disagree with, they wonder why USU hasn’t done anything about it.” 

According to Ahmed, because many students here have similar backgrounds, USU doesn’t have a lot of “hot topics” like other schools. He said students in USUSA have different ideologies, though. 

“I would like to compliment the community on how respectful they’ve been,” McKinney said. “We need to promote inclusion and free speech, along with helping others understand why there’s a conflict.”

“People should be able to say what they want to say,” USU senior Ashtyn Asay said. “At the same time, people should be able to learn without risk of harassment.”

Tabrynn Tucker, another USU senior, said when restrictions are placed on freedom of speech, the speech isn’t free anymore. “People shouldn’t be harassed, but who should be implementing the rules?” she said. “Each problem can be dealt with on an individual basis, keeping speech free.”