Debating Free Speech on Campus

By Ana Norleyne 

SAN MARCOS, Texas -- After a series of recently enacted free speech laws, in Texas and around the nation, a current debate is stirring among Texas State students surrounding freedom of speech on campus. 

SB 18, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, earlier this month, establishes that universities must allow any person to engage in free speech activities on campus, create disciplinary sanctions for students who interfere with the free speech activities of others and establish a process for addressing complaints of potential free speech violations.  

In April, Texas State University’s student senate passed a resolution to bar the conservative group Turning Point USA from campus. The move caused controversy among members of the campus community as well as with the student body president and campus administration. 

Wimberly Kerbow
Photo by Makenzie Harrison

“I don’t think they should be banned because they have freedom of speech,” Wimberley Kerbow, a physics student at Texas State, said. “But I do think that they should be more regulated in what they say.” 

There was another incident in May, where University Police Department arrested four students after an altercation with counter-protesters who gathered in anticipation of the arrival of the Texas Nomads SAR, a group that expected to hold a demonstration in opposition to Student Government’s proposed TPUSA ban.

Samantha Groody
Photo by Taylor Batey

“There are groups who want to abide by our First Amendment,” senior, Samantha Groody said. “But seeing the violence first hand that day, was very discouraging of our campus and will have a lasting impact of how I want my children to grow up and what college they attend towards the near future.”  

According to a study conducted by the Knight Foundation, a majority of students do not support free speech restrictions, but 41% draw the line at hate speech.

Amari Clarke
Photo by Ezra Pena

Students at Texas State, like Amari Clarke, 18, consider that young people can be aggressive sometimes and not always react the proper way. Although she doesn’t know where the line between free speech and hate speech should be drawn, she suggests students to be mindful on how they express themselves.  

“Everyone has opinions but if your opinions are aggressive then maybe you shouldn’t express hate as openly as you think you should. Clarke said. “So, I’m not sure what the line should be, but I do feel like there should be something there.”

Nationally, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that allows the federal government to withhold research and education grants from public higher education institutions if they fail to promote free speech on campus. In a similar manner, after the controversy with the conservative group TPUSA, Gov. Greg Abott questioned if the taxpayers should still fund schools like Texas State. 

“I feel our governor is on the right track but should not come out as harshly and threatening as he did,” Groody said.  

On rising debates regarding free speech laws on campus, students have divided opinions on whether groups such as TPUSA should be ban or not from campus. 

Andy Sanchez
Photo by Robert Bodine Jr.

Some students, like Andy Sanchez, said that hate speech should be protected by the First Amendment. 

“Everyone should be able to say what they want to say even if it's like hateful,” Sanchez said. “Because even if it isn't hateful, to be honest, everyone's going to get offended. So, might as well just say what you're going to say.”

Donald Stevenson
Photo by Aaron Esparza

Donald Stevenson, accounting student, said that to ban groups such as TPUSA from campus was a drastic move. Stevenson considers imperative that students learn how to deal with varied viewpoints.

“The First Amendment protects their freedom to speak about their conservative agenda just as much as it protects my freedom to say that I openly disagree with it,” Stevenson said.