(Headline USA) A new bill introduced by Senate Republicans this week would force colleges to pay damages in court if they are found guilty of suppressing free speech on campus.
The Campus Free Speech Restoration Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., would allow private citizens or the U.S. attorney general to sue universities if the schools violate the free speech right of students, faculty members and speakers.
The Education Department would also be empowered to investigate violations of free speech, and if a university is found to have violated free speech, its federal funds could be stripped as a result, according to the Washington Examiner.
“Too many of America’s public colleges have attacked the First Amendment rights of their students using so-called free speech zones and unconstitutional speech codes,” Cotton said in a statement. “This bill fights back against campus censors in order to defend open debate and free speech, which lead us to truth.”
Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., introduced a companion bill in the House last month.
“Students learn best when they’re in an environment where they can express their opinions and ask questions,” Murphy said at the time. “Unfortunately, many institutions teach diversity in all things except opinion. That’s why I’m introducing this bill to put a long-overdue check on woke universities and ensure students’ First Amendment rights are duly protected.”
The bill comes amid an uptick in shoutdowns and threats against conservatives on college campuses. Earlier this year, for example, a federal judge — Judge Kyle Duncan — was screamed at by a mob of Stanford Law School students. And last month, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was physically hit and barricaded inside a classroom after being chased down by a mob of leftist students.
