Alexandra Wallace Won't Be Punished For Free Speech Or Hate Speech Either
03/20/2011
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The AP has this

Associated Press UCLA will not punish student for anti-Asian rant Associated Press, 03.18.11, 06:45 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES — The University of California, Los Angeles, says it will not discipline a student who posted a web video tirade against Asian colleagues because her conduct was an exercise of free speech, not hate speech.

This is a misguided distinction—most controversial speech is hated by someone, and people continue to say things like "I believe in free speech, but not hate speech."

UCLA's vice chancellor for student affairs, Janina Montero,[Email her] said in a statement Friday that Alexandra Wallace's three-minute video did not violate the student code of conduct.

Here's Montero's originally released statement, via Google's cache:

Statement of Janina Montero, vice chancellor for student affairs By UCLA Newsroom March 18, 2011 Category: Campus News, Student Affairs As a public university, UCLA zealously protects free expression, however misguided, hurtful or contrary to our core values of civility and respect for others. Our policies do not punish free speech but hate speech directed at specific individuals or speech that interferes with a student's ability to pursue an education.

While I and most on campus were appalled by the sentiments expressed in a recent YouTube video, we have uncovered no facts that lead us to believe that the Student Code of Conduct was violated. We have no intention of pursuing a discipline matter – which in no way diminishes the pain felt by so many in the campus community and around the world.

That statement, with its problematical "free speech—hate speech" distinction, and its piling on attacks on a young woman who has received death threats as a result of such "hate hating" is, in the well remembered words of Nixon spokesman Ron Ziegler, "no longer operative."

Statement of Janina Montero, vice chancellor for student affairs By UCLA Newsroom March 18, 2011 Category: Campus News, Student Affairs This corrects an earlier version due to an editing error.

As a public university, UCLA protects free expression. While I and most on campus were appalled by the sentiments expressed in a recent YouTube video, we have uncovered no facts that lead us to believe that the Student Code of Conduct was violated. We have no intention of pursuing a disciplinary matter.

Miss Wallace is seen top right wearing UCLA uniform, lower left not wearing it.

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