UMich nixes dorm speech policy in wake of lawsuit

For the second time in less than a year, the University of Michigan revised its free speech policies on campus following a First Amendment lawsuit against the school.

The latest set of changes affect dorms and residence halls, where housing staff were previously able to censor what students could place on their dorm doors. Under the new regulations, housing staff may not remove writings or postings from student doors without the student’s permission, even in the event of “hate speech,” according to The Michigan Daily.

The new policy does not extend to common areas in residence halls, and a number of processes remain in place to report certain speech some might find offensive. Amir Baghdadchi, senior associate director of University Housing, told The Michigan Daily that students may report harmful speech to staff, who may then forward the information to the Housing Diversity and Inclusion unit.

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