ACLU of Wisconsin and ACLU Student Alliance (ACLUSA) at UWM Condemn Proposed Sedition Act at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

February 14, 2008                                                             

MILWAUKEE, WI – Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and its ACLU Student Alliance at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee spoke out against the UWM Student Association Student Senate’s “SA Sedition Act.”   The Act would threaten individuals and groups with “cease-and-desist” orders and civil legal action for alleged libel or slander regarding the Student Association.  The ACLU believes that this threat undermines the Student Association’s credibility as it is clearly meaningless except as an instrument of retaliation or censorship. 

“The new ACLU Student Alliance at UWM urges the Student Senate to reverse course and reject censorship.  We recently organized to address civil liberties violations on campus as well as in our community and nation.  We expected to be combating issues of warrantless wiretapping or discrimination, not censorship by the Student Association,” said Angela Lang, President of the ACLU Student Alliance at UWM (ACLUSA at UWM).

“It is distressing that a university governance group (the SA) would try to claim a right to censor speech in the guise of prosecuting libel and slander.  Government bodies cannot sue for libel or slander for good reason. There is nothing more destructive of democratic government than the power in the hands of the government to stifle opposition and silence dissent by lawsuits.” said Chris Ahmuty, the ACLU of Wisconsin’s executive director. 

“Fortunately, Student Association President Robert Grover has vetoed the ‘SA Sedition Act’.  The ACLU of Wisconsin and ACLU Student Alliance at UWM urge the Student Senate to uphold the veto when it comes up at the Student Senate’s meeting on February 24^th,” Ahmuty continued.

“Over the years the UWM campus has had plenty of controversy and robust debate.  Just last November the ACLU of Wisconsin successfully supported the right of a controversial speaker, Walid Shoebat, to appear on campus,” Ahmuty concluded.  

 “The members of the Student Senate, who voted for this resolution, need to recognize the truth of President Harry Truman’s words, ‘If you can’t stand the heat, you should get out of the kitchen.’  It is time for the Student Senate to embrace free speech and get back to  representing the important interests of all UWM students.”, Angela Lang concluded. 

The ACLU of Wisconsin is a membership organization that defends the civil liberties and rights of all Wisconsin residents in a non-partisan manner.

The ACLU Student Alliance at UWM (ACLUSA at UWM) is open to all students interested in supporting civil liberties and rights.  It can be reached at aclusa@gmail.com

Click here to read the .pdf press release