The Texas College Students Fighting Back Against Free Speech Censors

<p><&excl;-- BEGIN THEIA POST SLIDER --><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div style&equals;"position&colon;relative" data-narration-container&equals;"true">&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">Free speech isn’t free at Texas universities&period; Apparently&comma; it comes with strings attached&comma; or at least that’s what I was told when I tried to host a pro-life event that got so derailed&comma; I had to call on Students for Life of America’s &lpar;SFLA&rpar; attorneys for a demand letter to try and get it back on track&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">It’s not just me&period; Students at the University of Texas&comma; both at Dallas and Austin&comma; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;fire&period;org&ast;2Fcases&ast;2Ffellowship-christian-university-students-university-texas-dallas-v-eltife&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563320391&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;dtwwVKn&ast;2B7xobXYzqajEbrkoh5HCW2yQ9KzvUpM4bZnU&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AcuVwNDD&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">are suing<&sol;span><&sol;a> the University of Texas system after being censored when schools used a Texas law as an excuse to limit free speech on college campuses&period; While the law is not currently enforceable&comma; college campuses across Texas are still holding strong to their censorship regime — and it’s up to students to stand up for their rights&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">My story began <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fstudentsforlife&period;org&ast;2F2026&ast;2F04&ast;2F16&ast;2Ffree-speech-in-name-only-how-ut-austin-is-preventing-my-student-group-from-speaking-up-for-life&ast;2F&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563353206&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;e8RMiNBNMTNvEhywCUtnjeGTk91xp6Ut&ast;2FmysB6LmWgw&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AT4BsCBy&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">when I tried to host<&sol;span><&sol;a> a speaker on campus at the University of Texas as part of my SFLA activities&period; Rather than welcoming pro-life voices&comma; the university demanded almost complete disassociation from SFLA for the event to go on&comma; which made the event itself virtually impossible&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">More specifically&comma; the office told my group that our event could not include branded or promotional materials featuring both the outside organization and my student organization&comma; Horns for Life&semi; help managing the event&semi; filming for social media&semi; or co-sponsorship with SFLA or any off-campus organization&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">That not only impacted my free speech rights&comma; but my freedom of association&comma; too&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">In 2019&comma; when Texas passed <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fcapitol&period;texas&period;gov&ast;2FBillLookup&ast;2FHistory&period;aspx&ast;3FLegSess&ast;3D86R&ast;26Bill&ast;3DSB18&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563396873&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;2AtQpIrbbtYNbU9928Xk5Ce1V&ast;2F0kaoX7X6S88V6pMqE&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AT4TymyG&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">Senate Bill 18<&sol;span><&sol;a>&comma; it reinforced <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;congress&period;gov&ast;2Fcrs&lowbar;external&lowbar;products&ast;2FLSB&ast;2FHTML&ast;2FLSB10438&period;web&period;html&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563716854&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;0Ikog9aHx&ast;2F&ast;2BTRI1Hd&ast;2FIaOF5Tv00HLGpukZuopplhmec&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AXDU25Tu&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s2">Supreme Court precedent<&sol;span><&sol;a> that outdoor campus spaces are public forums&comma; thereby ensuring free speech protections at universities&period; In a total betrayal of these values&comma; Texas passed <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;capitol&period;texas&period;gov&ast;2Ftlodocs&ast;2F89R&ast;2Fbilltext&ast;2Fhtml&ast;2FSB02972F&period;htm&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563753706&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;6JsTyqVn9QKarsTn9xQlqdGZFCPXSqtmSTYTXV8fzvA&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AakeQ9It&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">Senate Bill 2972<&sol;span><&sol;a>&comma; or the Campus Protection Act&comma; in September 2025 under the guise of protecting campuses from disruptions and preserving safety during &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;end-of-term” periods and even during specific times of the day&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">The Campus Protection Act stopped students from engaging in acts of speech between 10 pm and 8 am&comma; as well as from bringing guest speakers&comma; amplifying sound&comma; or using percussive instruments at demonstrations in the final two weeks of each semester&period; It is extremely broad&comma; even disallowing student speech in private conversations&comma; whether in dorm rooms or outdoor meeting spaces&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The First Amendment doesn’t set when the sun goes down&comma;” <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;fire&period;org&ast;2Fnews&ast;2Flawsuit-texas-bans-first-amendment-public-universities-after-dark&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563782445&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;HEWBXSC&ast;2Fhwx&ast;2BevsjFIdxTtMbqSIAgPUB8HyXIE8&ast;2Fo7g&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-ARkj-qwy&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">said FIRE senior supervising attorney<&sol;span><&sol;a> JT Morris&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;University students have expressive freedom whether it’s midnight or midday&comma; and Texas can’t just legislate those constitutional protections out of existence&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">The bill was so unprecedented and broad that the U&period;S&period; District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an injunction <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;fire&period;org&ast;2Fnews&ast;2Fvictory-federal-court-halts-texas-no-first-amendment-after-dark-campus-speech-ban&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563806965&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;7lyWqt1IQI12zcaFa09&ast;2FX18T&ast;2B8bYA8g1mtYVoxfCsUY&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AXgQLXpH&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">stopping the law from being enforced<&sol;span><&sol;a> only a month later&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">Despite the injunction&comma; Texas universities continue to use these rules at the campus policy level&period; UT Austin cites SB 2972 as a justification for their policy that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;states that a guest speaker may not staff a table or set up exhibits&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">Not only is pro-life speech being targeted&comma; but religious speech and expression as well&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">A group of students has sued the UT system and its various representatives on behalf of their Texas college groups&comma; including <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fanyfocus&period;org&ast;2Fut-dallasabout&ast;2F&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563827587&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;10DzF9ua0ems&ast;2Fv6r2pUNa7R2NCSTEvMT39b8EOvqKu8&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AaH94gSd&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">The Fellowship of Christian University Students at UT-Dallas&comma;<&sol;span><&sol;a> after they were <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;fire&period;org&ast;2Fnews&ast;2Flawsuit-texas-bans-first-amendment-public-universities-after-dark&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563845212&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;81BT5sQASX2Am2oAbSw8QqBI3F9I8zpii4CCpOrfB8A&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AZIZuNqu&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">prevented from bringing a minister<&sol;span><&sol;a> to campus to pray for them during their class finals&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">Texas Woman’s University <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Ftwu&period;edu&ast;2Fdean-of-students&ast;2Fon-campus-free-speech&ast;2F&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563861696&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;QxqF1fMSVVmEqVQ6S9YMFl30Hhf3aQFPtddVwfx6GEw&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AZofybQy&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">enacted regulations on free speech&comma;<&sol;span><&sol;a> calling it a &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;limited public forum&period;” The school placed limits on the times&comma; places&comma; and methods in which students can demonstrate on campus <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fpublic&period;powerdms&period;com&ast;2FTWU1&ast;2Fdocuments&ast;2F1745744&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563879914&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;JrNy4CupwORxR0Rmvy2W7WemASJ882EPoCMuSXltjcM&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-AZcH0uUL&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">while telling them<&sol;span><&sol;a> &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;nothing in this policy may be construed to limit or infringe on a person’s right to freedom protected by the United States and Texas Constitutions&comma;” as if the rules do not inherently do exactly this&period; Texas Tech University’s Lubbock campus also has <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;urldefense&period;com&sol;v3&sol;&lowbar;&lowbar;https&colon;&sol;&sol;nam10&period;safelinks&period;protection&period;outlook&period;com&sol;&quest;url&equals;https&ast;3A&ast;2F&ast;2Fwww&period;yahoo&period;com&ast;2Fnews&ast;2Farticles&ast;2Ftexas-tech-free-speech-policy-172434017&period;html&amp&semi;data&equals;05&ast;7C02&ast;7Ckhamrick&ast;40studentsforlife&period;org&ast;7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3&ast;7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a&ast;7C0&ast;7C0&ast;7C639125551563896751&ast;7CUnknown&ast;7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ&ast;3D&ast;3D&ast;7C0&ast;7C&ast;7C&ast;7C&amp&semi;sdata&equals;c2DWOzTb5QmJ5ujYoCvwua7v2CKCf41fUBiC3W&ast;2FmR&ast;2FY&ast;3D&amp&semi;reserved&equals;0&lowbar;&lowbar;&semi;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ&excl;&excl;PxibshUo2Yr&lowbar;Ta5B&excl;0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv&lowbar;nhctfg-IW&lowbar;6ARf&lowbar;artpEf-ASiBSwsP&dollar;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">similar rules<&sol;span><&sol;a> now coming under fire&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">While it is always advisable to follow campus rules&comma; that does not mean Texas students cannot challenge them in the courts or otherwise&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">Disallowing all guest speakers&comma; claiming a limited public forum&comma; imposing time limits&comma; and limiting amplified sound all have precedent for being deemed impermissible in certain circumstances&comma; especially if the university is using Senate Bill 2972 as an excuse to enforce these rules&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">Using field representatives or coordinators from affiliate organizations to assist students in challenging university decisions against student organizations is a great first step&period; SFLA staff are equipped and eager to help our students&period; Additionally&comma; reaching out to organizations like <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fire&period;org&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">FIRE<&sol;span><&sol;a> allows student groups without resources from a larger organization to seek help navigating <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fire&period;org&sol;defending-your-rights&sol;legal-support" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><span class&equals;"s1">legal routes<&sol;span><&sol;a> addressing free speech challenges&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">A university is a place to experience new ideas&comma; diverse opinions&comma; and freedom of discourse&period; The acts of tabling on campus and hosting speakers are not separate from this mission&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">These unconstitutional rules do not disappear on their own&period; To see students’ free speech rights protected on university campuses again&comma; students must speak up against the injustices happening on their campus and beyond — and the courts must follow their lead&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1">&ast;&ast;&ast;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1"><i>Tiffany Lomax is a senior student at the University of Texas at Austin&period; She serves as president of the Horns for Life chapter&comma; where she is involved in pro-life advocacy and organizing events on campus&period;  <&sol;i><&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p><br &sol;>&NewLine;<br &sol;><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;dailywire&period;com&sol;news&sol;the-texas-college-students-fighting-back-against-free-speech-censors">Source link <&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><&excl;-- END THEIA POST SLIDER --><&sol;p>&NewLine;