Clemson Exonerates Student Group, Will Review Policy on 'Free-Speech Zones'
By Jim Brown and Jody Brown
December 4, 2006

(AgapePress) - There's been a major First Amendment victory for students at a prestigious university in South Carolina, where a conservative student group has been absolved of charges stemming from its protest of a pro-homosexual event on campus.

Clemson University had a policy that designated only two areas on the campus for students to assemble. Even within those areas, students were required to obtain permission from three different administrative offices 72 hours prior to any planned event. However, after the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) sent a letter to the school, arguing the policy -- in violation of the U.S. Constitution -- made spontaneous demonstrations impossible, Clemson set aside the policy for review and is allowing the entire campus to be open to free speech.

Samantha Harris, FIRE's director of legal and public advocacy, explains that a student group known as the Clemson Conservatives had been charged with a violation of the "free-speech zone" policy for protesting a pro-homosexual "marriage" event staged by the Clemson Gay-Straight Alliance. In late October the conservative group had requested, but was denied, permission to stage their protest at a location outside one of the zones -- then proceeded with the protest nonetheless. the rest