Haskell University is now legally required to not retaliate against students or the student paper for utilizing their First Amendment Rights, after a lawsuit by a former student was decided yesterday. After Haskell Indian Nations University Student Editor, Jared Nally, took a case that included censorship, coercion and stonewalling, to court against the university. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or ‘FIRE’, says he won.
‘FIRE’ says the Lawrence District Court ordered Haskell Indian Nations University to adopt sweeping policy changes to protect the First Amendment Rights of students at the Federally operated university. The court also ordered the university to safeguard the editorial independence of the award-winning student newspaper, the Indian Leader.
The order utilizes an agreement Nally and Haskell filed late Monday and peaks a year-long battle, after then President Ronald Graham, prohibited Nally, former Editor-In-Chief of the student newspaper, from participating in routine newsgathering duties.
