The University of Alabama is reported to be facing a lawsuit from Young Americans for Liberty for censuring students' speech by requiring them to get "permission to speak."
CBN News said the Alliance Defending Freedom filed the lawsuit on Friday in behalf of the Young Americans for Liberty as announced in their Twitter account.
According to Alliance Defending Freedom, the lawsuit was filed in the 6th Judicial Circuit of the Alabama Circuit Court with the intention to challenge the University of Alabama's policies that restrict students to speak on campus since it is a violation of the state's FORUM Act, a law the provides students the liberty to be heard on campus.
ADF Legal Counsel Michael Ross pointed out that the FORUM Act enables universities to be places where students can engage in "meaningful debate" without having to ask "permission" first before they could speak.
"All students-regardless of viewpoint-have the freedom to share their beliefs and engage in civil debate on campus without first asking college administrators for permission to speak. Universities are supposed to be the very places where students are free to explore diverse ideas and engage in civil and meaningful debate, but the University of Alabama is shutting down this debate with its burdensome speech policies," the ADF said.
ADF explained that the University of Alabama's policies are illegal since it prevents students in engaging in expression spontaneously and in freely promoting their activities in campus.
CBN News highlighted that the activities that require the university's prior approval include distributing petitions, carrying signs, distributing literature, hanging posters, making speeches, protesting, and peaceful assembly.
In addition, ADF said the Young Americans for Liberty wanted to engage their peers to debate on important social issues such as federalism and gun control but were prevented to because of the school's policy, which requires approval ahead of time. ADF said there is a danger with these kinds of policies since the administrators of the university get to pick viewpoints for discussion in campus, which restricts diversity of opinions.
These kinds of restrictions, according to ADF Center for Academic Freedom Director Tyson Langhofer, hampers the students development and consciousness especially for the needs of the country being future voters, judges, and legislators.
"Today's college students are our future legislators, judges, and voters. That's why it's so important that public universities model the values they're supposed to be teaching students, and that colleges and universities in Alabama respect state law," Langhofer raised.
"We are grateful that Gov. Ivey signed the FORUM Act into law, but now university officials must act consistently with that law to ensure that pro-liberty students-like all students-have the freedom to share their beliefs anywhere on campus, and without first asking college administrators for permission to speak. If university officials were respecting the law, this lawsuit would not be necessary," he stressed.
