T he University has every right to demand a “heads up” from professors intending to publish controversial opinions that could bring bad publicity and dramatically increased attention to UNC.
Last fall, administrators asked law professor Gene Nichol, an outspoken liberal writer who often publishes columns in the Raleigh News & Observer, to inform them before his name and association with the University are circulated across the state attached to opinions with which some might vehemently disagree .
The request has sparked claims that Nichol’s right to freedom of speech is being infringed. However, the University has no intention of censoring or editing Nichol’s writing; administrators just want to know to look out for his columns and be prepared for the influx of phone calls that inevitably will come.
This is a completely reasonable demand. Administrators do not want to miss a column in the paper and then be blindsided by questions and calls about what Nichol wrote.
Nichol has complied with the University’s demand and continues to publish his controversial opinions — in an October column, he compared Gov. Pat McCrory to three segregationist governors from the 1960’s. The University has been accepting of the repercussions of blunt statements like this, and administrators do not require that Nichol send in anything more detailed than a mere warning that something would be published.
Other professors who are outspoken in their opinions often send administrators a “heads up” email without being asked; it is a courtesy to the University and does no one any harm .
The fact that Nichol’s vocal columns have continued to run and spark debate in recent months should be proof that he has not been deprived of his right to free speech.
