Monday, March 03, 2008

Obama Banned at Wash U

Washington University in St. Louis banned students from having Barack Obama speak in January, according to this report in the student newspaper. As I previous noted in a blog about the School of the Art Institute in Chicago banning the showing of a documentary about Obama, these kind of bans on political speakers are a direct violation of student rights to hear any speaker they wish to. It also violates the AAUP standards on student right and its statement on academic freedom and outside speakers. An absurd fear of losing non-profit status or causing inconvenience in no way justifies this kind of censorship, and Washington University should immediately change its policies.

1 comment:

wae said...

I haven't given Wash U's alumni fund a dime in the last decade or so. My abstention was initially a combination of apathy and irritation over banning alcohol from the annual quad parties, but now I'll claim some collateral moral indignation as well.