CNA Staff, Sep 10, 2020 / 13:01 pm
The US Education Department on Wednesday promulgated rules which formally implement a March executive order from President Donald Trump seeking to ensure that students' First Amendment rights are protected on college campuses.
The Sept. 9 regulations require that a public institution "not deny a religious student organization any of the rights, benefits, or privileges that are otherwise afforded to other student organizations."
Under the new rules, public institutions who receive federal grants must comply with the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech, association, press, religion, assembly, petition, and academic freedom.
Any institution proven in court not to be upholding free speech could lose federal funding, and in extreme cases could be prohibited from receiving federal funding in the future.