WWU Admits Error in Using Student Code to Investigate Protected Speech

FIRE likes to give credit where it’s due when a university is forthright about errors it made in violating the rights of students. While we already commended Western Washington University last week for quickly doing the right thing and ending its investigation of student Jacob Ramirez, WWU’s official response to FIRE deserves its own additional praise. That’s because it makes an important point: Universities must not use their disciplinary codes as tools to summon students to account for their protected speech.