The University was designated as “clearly and substantially” restricting freedom of speech for nine years, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The University was given a “red light” rating for the restrictive nature of its Internet use policy and harassment policies in the LSU Code of Student Conduct, among other things, according to its website.
FIRE put pressure on the University in November 2004, when the University refused the Muslim Students Association official recognition because of its refusal to allow non-Muslims to join the group, FIRE’s website said. FIRE’s president also wrote about The Daily Reveille’s columnist Jana King, and her column about the transition from free speech alley to free speech campus in 2013.
According to the website, many campus harassment policies set the bar too low for how the Supreme Court defines harassment. Harassment must be “so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive,” meaning mere rudeness does not qualify under legal standards. The University’s speech codes mention offensive speech, which “may contribute to a hostile environment.”
Campus computer use policies can also raise issues, with restrictions that don’t line up with campus speech codes.