Other colleges and universities have banned organizations commonly regarded as dangerous groups. Why hasnt the University of Maryland?
Given the quasi-public nature of the University of Maryland, it is extremely difficult to impose restrictions on free speech, or to ban organizations from speaking and recruiting on campus. The University has traditionally held to a broad interpretation of the First Amendment. This means that unlike some public universities, Maryland has never, for example, attempted to implement the kinds of speech codes that ultimately have been overturned by the courts. Our stance is that unless we feel an abridgement of the First Amendment is likely to withstand legal challenge — and few are — we are best advised to use devices such as public awareness and the exposing of controversial issues to the light of open debate.
