Student Handbook: Speech, Dissent, and Demonstration

Relevant Excerpt

The rights to demonstration and dissent are essential to academic freedom and scholarly pursuits. It affirms the values of free speech and peaceable assembly and supports their exercise as integral to academic freedom and scholarly pursuits. The College’s role is not to shield community members from unpleasant or offensive ideas, but to allow such ideas to be tested through discussion and debate. The College seeks to promote students’ civic engagement and personal development, in a setting where they may be guided by faculty and administrators and by the community’s values. The College also upholds students’ rights under California’s Leonard Law not to be disciplined for engaging in protected speech. 

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This policy does not protect speech and expressive activities that constitute true threats, unlawful harassment, defamation, obscenity, incitement to imminent lawless action, or other types of legally unprotected expression. Nor does it protect protests and demonstrations that are non-peaceful, infringe on others’ rights, violate College policies or applicable laws, or substantially disrupt College programs or operations. For example:

1. Non-peaceful actions or demonstrations include those that physically endanger or injure, or threaten to physically endanger or injure, any person, or that damage or threaten to damage property.
2. Actions or demonstrations that invade the rights of others include those that create a hostile environment for another College community member(s); otherwise involve violation of the College’s Discrimination, Harassment & Retaliation Policy, Sexual & Interpersonal Misconduct Policy, or similar policies, laws, or regulations; or involve intimidating, doxxing, or harassing conduct.
3. Substantially disruptive actions or demonstrations include those that restrict others’ free movement, or substantially interfere with, or impede access to or from, regular activities or facilities of the College (such as classes, lectures, residential life, work, athletics, construction, ceremonies, and events). Although the level of disruption is dependent on all relevant circumstances, actions are more likely to become substantially disruptive when they continue for longer periods of time, impact a significant institutional function or event, or require excessive time or expense to address.