Supreme Court Declines Free Speech Challenge Against Indiana University

The U.S. Supreme Court refused Speech First's appeal against Indiana University's bias incident reporting policy, citing free speech concerns. The group argued the policy violates First Amendment rights by being overly vague. Justices Thomas and Alito dissented, advocating for clarity in college speech policy challenges.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a conservative group's challenge to Indiana University's policy on bias-motivated incidents, stalling a debate on free speech. The group Speech First's appeal, which claimed the policy breached First Amendment rights, was denied by justices.

This setback highlights ongoing disputes over free speech on U.S. campuses, with efforts to counter hate speech clashing against allegations of censorship of conservative viewpoints. This marks another challenge by Speech First, which aims to combat censorship on universities across the country, suing nine institutions thus far.

Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito opposed the court's decision, pushing for resolution on legal discrepancies relating to bias-reporting policies. Meanwhile, Indiana University defends its policy, citing its commitment to inclusivity and civility, though critics argue the policy's ambiguity threatens open discourse.

(With inputs from agencies.)