Fourteen Ohio colleges and universities received a yellow-light rating in a recent review of campus free speech policies by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Cleveland State University was the only Ohio school to receive a green-light rating, indicating that its written policies do not seriously threaten student expression.

Free Speech Ratings

The yellow-light rating does not mean that a school routinely suppresses speech, but rather that it has policies that could be too broadly applied against protected expression. A red-light institution, on the other hand, has at least one policy that clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.

Nationally, 65 colleges and universities received a red-light designation, representing 13.2% of the schools reviewed. This is the lowest percentage FIRE has recorded since it began conducting the annual assessment. The vast majority of schools, about 340, received yellow-light ratings, indicating that they have policies that could potentially restrict protected speech.

The review comes amid an ongoing debate over the role of free speech and academic freedom at colleges and universities in Ohio. Ohio Senate Bill 1, a sweeping higher education law, took effect last summer and changed how public universities address issues including diversity programs, classroom discussions, faculty labor actions, and post-tenure review.

FIRE’s rating system is designed to give students, faculty, and the public a way to evaluate the speech rules governing college campuses before disputes arise. The organization says the goal of its rating system is to encourage institutions to adopt policies that clearly protect constitutionally protected speech.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.