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Opinion

UH should fix speech policy now

Nick Somarakis
Opinion Columnist

Four years ago, the Pro-Life Cougars held its controversial protest against abortion at Butler Plaza. 

In the end, all it cost was $93,000 in attorney's fees -- paid by the University of Houston when a federal court ruled that UH had to change its Freedom of Expression policy because it gave too much discretion to Dean of Students William Munson. The court ruled in favor of Pro-Life Cougars, and UH had to pay the cost of the lawsuit, which was filed shortly after the group's first attempt to bring the protest to UH in 1998.

Since that decision, UH has changed its policy with regards to Butler Plaza, but the freedom of expression policy still restricts free speech in many ways. 

The policy stops student organizations from holding activities in any of the so called "free speech zones," such as Butler Plaza, unless they give a seven-day advance notice and get approval by the dean of students.

The policy regulates student groups to using amplified sound on days and times when students are not on campus, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. until midnight Mondays through Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays, students are allowed to have amplified sound all day long.

The sad part is that these unnecessary regulations discourage students from organizing group activities because they have to go through so many regulations for less than two hours of time with which to reach students while they are on campus.

There is a section of campus that is designated for free speech with no need to get approval from the dean, but amplified sound, stationary displays and exhibits are prohibited. 

In September, a federal court ruled that Texas Tech University's free speech policies had to be changed because they only allowed students to give speeches in free speech zones. The UH policy, unless changed, will lead UH to another court setting, another hearing and more costs to UH students. 

Changes could be made that would protect free speech, encourage student activities on campus and prevent any further lawsuits. UH could eliminate the amplified sound rule, thereby allowing student organizations to have more than an hour-and-a-half to engage students while students are on campus. They could make the free speech zones first come, first served while still allowing student organizations to reserve the zones.

The Student Government Association has the ability to take action to prevent any further lawsuits and to protect UH student's free speech by calling for changes to the Freedom of Expression policy. But until the administration changes the freedom of expression policy, students will have to wait until a student group files suit in court to get the policy changed. 

I'm willing to pay the filing fee.

Somarakis, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu