Regulating Hate Speech on Campus

Many universities, under pressure to respond to the concerns of those who are the objects of hate, have adopted codes or policies prohibiting speech that offends any group based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. The power of a university to eliminate bias on campus depends not on its ability to punish a racist speaker, but instead on its commitment to equality and education.
Hate speech is comprised of verbal, pictorial or symbolic expressions of hatred against racial, religious, or ethnic groups, homosexuals, and women. Boundaries of the First Amendment are at the center of the legal debates about free speech and hate speech. While free speech is considered to be a fundamental right, the Supreme Court has never held that the Constitution establishes an "absolute" right to free speech. Individuals have the right to speak, and in some cases demonstrate their opinions even if those opinions are unpopular and hate motivated. …