Free (and educated) speech
Reporting about the SGA, not a record of it: The Johns Hopkins News-Letter published this and the SGA did not write it, file it, or approve it. The archive holds it because the article itself uses the phrase “student council”.
Summary
- This Johns Hopkins News-Letter article covers the Student Council’s resolution on free speech and the editorial’s view of its limits.
- The News-Letter reported that the Student Council’s recently ratified resolution rejected the University’s “Principles for Ensuring Equity, Civility and Respect for All” policy, but said its protection for “all ideas” needed more detail.
- The paper reported that free speech should protect offensive ideas and support open academic discussion at Hopkins.
- The article says that unsupported slanderous or derogatory accusations should not lead to automatic censure, but should be challenged through academic debate.
- The reporter writes that speech or actions that intentionally disparage people or groups without justification should not be tolerated, citing recent incidents involving Sigma Chi and the Carrollton Record.
- The News-Letter reported that its editorial urged the Council and administration to distinguish legitimate academic debate from slanderous and defamatory speech.