Court Finds Computer Use Policy May Violate First Amendment

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently decided that a university's Computer Usage Policy may violate professors' First Amendment right to free speech.  Objecting to a faculty-created blog that was often critical of university administration, Chicago State University sent a cease-and-desist letter to a faculty member, claiming that the blog lacked the "civility" and "professionalism" that the university expected of its faculty.  The faculty member interpreted that letter as an attempt to invoke the university's Computer Usage Policy, which prohibited "any communication which tends to embarrass or humiliate any member of the community."  The faculty member challenged that policy on First Amendment grounds, arguing that, on its face, the policy infringed on their free speech rights.