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Amid student protests, some see erosion of free speech

FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2015, file photo, a member of the black student protest group Concerned Student 1950 gestures while addressing a crowd following the announcement that University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe would resign, at the university in Columbia, Mo. The bullet points are blunt and direct: Blacks at the University of Missouri are harassed and threatened, the university has too few African-American faculty members, administration doesn't seem to care, and all of that needs to change. A set of demands addressing those concerns is strikingly similar to demands made in 1969. But this time, it appears the university is listening. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2015, file photo, a member of the black student protest group Concerned Student 1950 gestures while addressing a crowd following the announcement that University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe would resign, at the university in Columbia, Mo. The bullet points are blunt and direct: Blacks at the University of Missouri are harassed and threatened, the university has too few African-American faculty members, administration doesn't seem to care, and all of that needs to change. A set of demands addressing those concerns is strikingly similar to demands made in 1969. But this time, it appears the university is listening. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

By Associated Press November 15, 2015 1 min read

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A recent groundswell of protests on college campuses over race, sexual misconduct and other social issues has some civil libertarians worried that the prized principle of free speech could be sacrificed in the rush to address legitimate student grievances.

The potential conflict between civil rights and the First Amendment was on display at the University of Missouri in Columbia last week when students forced the resignation of the system president over racial incidents and other problems. Their campaign drew widespread support but also complaints that some actions went too far, infringing freedom of the press and expression.

Free speech advocates said the Missouri case highlights a trend of university officials and students being overly-sensitive. Student activists say they are getting more aggressive because administrators are ignoring their concerns.