Trinity Policy on Freedom of Speech, Right to Protest
and Management of Demonstrations
Freedom of speech and thought, freedom to teach and research as a scholar may choose, freedom to dissent and express many divergent points of view are essential values for higher education to flourish. Trinity upholds these values and defends the rights of students, faculty and staff to exercise their freedoms to the greatest extent possible. As stated in the Faculty Handbook (p. 3) Trinity embraces the AAUP Statement on Academic Freedom.
Trinity expects all members of the community to exercise their rights robustly and with respect for the rights and dignity of other persons. This policy statement also includes by reference Trinity’s Harassment Policy.
The purpose of this policy statement is to provide guidance for the management of public protests and demonstrations on campus. As a private university, Trinity may regulate the time, manner and place of public protests and demonstrations. With overarching respect for the rights of free speech and assembly, and academic freedom, Trinity expects public protests and demonstrations to observe these guidelines:
- Subject to reasonable time-manner-place parameters, protests and demonstrations organized by students, faculty or staff may occur in public spaces on campus to the extent that they do not block, disrupt or impede classes or other business of the university.
a) Trinity may require prior registration of a demonstration through the Office of Student Affairs (for students) or Conference Office (for faculty and staff). Prior registration will also ensure the presence of security and other services to protect all participants and ensure the health and safety of all.
- Persons who are not faculty, staff or registered students may not organize and conduct protests and demonstrations on Trinity’s campus.
a) Non-affiliated persons who come onto campus to stage protests or demonstrations may be subject to arrest and removal from campus.
- Protests objecting to other speakers may not block a speaker, prevent a speaker’s words from being heard, or otherwise infringe on the rights of others to speak or express themselves.
a) Persons who attempt to block another person from speaking, whether by physical interference or attempting to drown out the speaker’s words with loud noise, may be removed from the event venue and subject to disciplinary action.
- Trinity may limit or prohibit an expression (verbal or non-verbal, e.g., posters, flyers, buttons, symbols) that incites or threatens harm to individuals or damage to university property or the personal property of persons on campus. Trinity reserves the right to prohibit or shut down a demonstration that presents health and safety hazards to participants or others on campus. Trinity will seek the assistance of law enforcement in the event a demonstration becomes dangerous beyond what the university can manage internally.
Trinity will enforce this policy through the disciplinary procedures set forth in the handbooks for students and staff.