FIRE Weighs In with Op-Ed on Columbia Hockey Case

Check out today’s edition of the Columbia Spectator, for commentary from FIRE staffers Tara Sweeney and Chris Perez on the reduced punishment recently issued to the men’s ice hockey club for its “offensive” recruitment flyers.

They call out Columbia for its failure to admit the real reason for the team’s reprimand:

While we are pleased the club has regained its season, even the remaining punishment is disconcerting. Administrators and student government representatives have eschewed the free speech issue at the heart of the controversy, instead clinging to the club’s procedural errors and disciplinary history as being the reasons behind the punishment.

This timely op-ed comes on the heels of a busy week at Columbia, where violations of the First Amendment seem to crop up regularly. Stay tuned to The Torch for updates on this story and the latest incident at Columbia, in which student protestors rushed the stage in protest of speaker Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project.