“Free speech all the time. Not just when admin
says when, where, what about,” read one side of the neon-yellow
sign fielded by Ali Cohen, an education major at Coastal Carolina
University, during a recent campus rally.
Cohen is one of a handful of Coastal students facing disciplinary action for
sidewalk chalk messages protesting racial injustice and
the non-indictment of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Three
of the students—those caught in the act—were handcuffed and
detained by CCU police. The university said it will not be pursing
criminal charges, but Cohen and her chalk co-conspirators have been
charged with violations of the university’s conduct code, including
vandalism and “unauthorized usage/entry.”
The situation at Coastal echoes other recent conflicts between
university administrations and student activists, notes Elizabeth
Nolan Brown. Across the country, student activism has been on an
upswing. But with it has come increased efforts to suppress speech
and exert control from college adminstrators.
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