Group criticizes Georgia university for guidelines it says limit free speech

The University of North Georgia

The University of North Georgia

The University of North Georgia’s code of student conduct contains language that one organization believes hampers free speech on campus.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education named the university its October “Speech Code of the Month” violator for what it describes as a “broad” definition of discrimination in its code of student conduct that “can punish speech simply because someone finds it subjectively demeaning or degrading.”

The Philadelphia-based organization said in a news release late Monday it’s worried the policy may result in students censoring themselves for fear of discipline by administrators. FIRE is a non-profit dedicated to ensuring free speech on America’s college campuses.

UNG spokeswoman Sylvia Carson said Tuesday it’s reviewing its code of conduct to ensure the university continues its “practice of allowing and encouraging expression protected by the First Amendment while also prohibiting unlawful discrimination and harassment.”