Tyler Clementi Act vs. Free Speech

[chanel]

Enter New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg and Representative Rush Holt, who introduced into the lame-duck session of Congress the “Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2010.” While it didn’t come up for a vote last year, they have recently affirmed their intention to reintroduce it this year. This is unfortunate, because the “Tyler Clementi Act,” as written, will add Americans’ First Amendment rights to the list of victims of the Clementi tragedy.

The problems with the bill begins with Senator Lautenberg’s apparent confusion over what laws currently apply to college students. In a press release, Senator Lautenberg declared that “it is time for our colleges to put policies on the books that would protect students from harassment.”

Yet such policies have already been required for decades at every single college in the nation that receives federal funding (only a small handful do not) by Titles VI and IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is very difficult to believe that Senator Lautenberg and his staff don’t know this.

Other than students, the other group that would be likely to bear the brunt of this bill would be taxpayers. Since the bill would require every public university in America to pass unconstitutional policies, every public university would then be vulnerable to civil rights lawsuits stemming from the enforcement of its provisions. Just as it isn’t fair to strip students of their rights, it’s not fair to put universities between a rock and a hard place by forcing them to adopt such policies.

Pajamas Media Tyler Clementi Act a Serious Threat to Free Speech

Oh looky, looky. Another NJ politician exploiting another tragic death. Who woulda thunk?

Predictions?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Congress should make a law against making laws named after crime victims or dead people.

 

[chanel]

I mentioned that in radioman's thread "There ought to be a law". I said there ought to be a law banning the phrase "there ought to be a law."

You have no idea QW. I've lived in this state for 30 years. It happens every single time. They are still working on some "toppling law" named after a baby that died, that would require furniture makes to warn toddlers not to climb on the shelves.. One problem: toddlers can't fucking read.

 

[xotoxi]

Congress should make a law against making laws named after crime victims or dead people.

What would you name it?

I would call it Sarah's Law, named after a dead girl named Sarah who would have had a law named after her had the above law not passed.