USDOJ: UMich Bias Response Team Unconstitutional

Apparently the Trump Administration’s Justice Department felt compelled to show how it differs from the agency presided over by the previous administration. “The Trump administration weighed in Monday on a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of policies prohibiting the expression of ‘bias’ at University of Michigan, arguing the public school has been unlawfully punishing students for speech protected by the First Amendment,” Brandon Richardson reported in The Washington Times. “In a statement of interest, the Justice Department said the Ann Arbor university has imposed a ‘system of arbitrary censorship of, and punishment for, constitutionality protected speech.'”

“‘The University’s policies prohibit speech that any listener finds “bothersome” or “hurtful” — an overbroad, vague, and subjective standard that is a paradigmatic example of the chilling of free expression prohibited by the First Amendment,’ the statement of interest read. In a statement, acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio said freedom of speech and expression ‘are under attack’ on college campuses.”