Re: California valedictorian will no longer give graduation speech over 'alarming' discussion

On 4/18/2024 4:34 AM, Scout wrote:
> 
> 
> "NoBody" <[email protected]> wrote in message 
> news:[email protected]...
>> On Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:42:54 -0700, Josh Rosenbluth
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> On 4/17/2024 6:42 PM, Lou Bricano wrote:
>>>> On 4/17/2024 6:17 PM, Josh Rosenbluth wrote:
>>>>> On 4/17/2024 3:58 PM, Just Wondering wrote:
>>>>>> On 4/17/2024 5:20 AM, NoBody wrote:
>>>>>>> On Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:23:36 -0000 (UTC), useapen
>>>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The University of Southern California said its valedictorian 
>>>>>>>> will no
>>>>>>>> longer deliver a graduation speech this year, citing "substantial
>>>>>>>> risks
>>>>>>>> relating to security" over social media chatter surrounding the
>>>>>>>> Israel-
>>>>>>>> Hamas conflict.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The Los Angeles school revealed that Asna Tabassum, a fourth-year
>>>>>>>> student
>>>>>>>> from Chino Hills, California, was selected as the valedictorian and
>>>>>>>> would give a speech alongside two salutatorians. In a news release
>>>>>>>> Monday, the
>>>>>>>> university said she would no longer speak at the ceremony after the
>>>>>>>> discussion about her selection took on "an alarming tenor."
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The move comes after some students, alumni and others complained to
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> university about Tabassum's social media, which includes an
>>>>>>>> Instagram bio
>>>>>>>> that links to a pro-Palestine website.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2024/04/15/usc-cancels-
>>>>>>>> valedictorian-graduation-speech-israel-hamas/73336731007/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nothing like silencing free speech.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> If she avoids politics she should be allowed to speak.
>>>>>> But the valedictorian speech should not give her a platform
>>>>>> for a pro-Palestinian anti-Israel speech.  She should be
>>>>>> allowed to say whatever she wants on the subject, but there
>>>>>> is a time and place for everything and her college graduation
>>>>>> ceremony is not the time and place for that sort of thing.
>>>>>
>>>>> That's not how freedom of speech ought to work.
>>>>
>>>> I think canceling the woman's valedictory address is bad and wrong.
>>>> However, it's a private university and they don't have to play by the
>>>> same rules as state schools.
>>>
>>> True. But, California has a law which extends freedom of speech to
>>> private universities to the point where a student cannot be disciplined
>>> for exercising their freedom of speech. It's doubtful that denying a
>>> student a valedictorian address is "disciplinary sanction" as stated in
>>> the statute, but you never know.
>>
>> If it is retaliation for exercising her right to free speech, it most
>> certainly could be viewed as a punishment.

Could be. It's not settled law. But do note, it is not a First Amendment 
issue. It's limited to California and how California courts interpret a 
California statute (which may or may not be coterminous with the First 
Amendment).

> Nope, Sorry, If it were her stage and her podium, then she should say 
> what she wanted.. as a PRIVATE school function in a school building, on 
> school stage. Yea, they do indeed have something to say about what can 
> be said in THEIR forum.

That's a fair point. It's possible that "their forum" is another way of 
saying the school is speaking rather than the student. But if you are 
correct, then she can be silenced even at a public university. It's not 
settled law. SCOTUS has only established that a student-written high 
school newspaper is the school speaking, and the school can censor 
articles it does not like, Hazelwood School Dist. v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 
260 (1988).