As the He Said controversy issue continues to percolate on campus, the issue of whether or not a student should be punished for what he or she writes in The Mirror or any other publication, be it online or in print, continues to be raised. We believe that any punishment taken against a writer would be considered a form of censorship. In this case it may be true that students were hurt by words in the paper, it remains Chris Surette’s right to speak his mind in a free publication.
Putting aside the issue of whether or not what was written was wrong or not, it is important for the University to not set a precedent of punishing writers for their opinions.
The University Code of Conduct contains a strict interpretation of its hold on students and the disciplinary procedure. That includes tough guidelines on both on-campus and off-campus
behavior, as well as the use of hate speech and harassing language. While it is important to hold students accountable for their actions, it is also important for students to maintain their rights.
It is clear that the University wants to work with both Surette (through mediation) and with The Mirror. Any punishment to an individual writer or to the newspaper itself would put the University on a slippery slope.
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