A lawsuit filed against the University of Michigan for its policy against harassment and bullying "paints a false caricature" by mischaracterizing certain policies "while ignoring policy and practice that clearly reaffirm our deep and longstanding commitment to free speech," Mark S. Schlissel, president of the University of Michigan, said.
In a commentary published by The Detroit News, Schlissel said U-M’s Bias Response Team is "first and foremost a support resource for students who come to U-M to learn."
He explained how the program works and noted that "no student at the university has been disciplined for harassing or bullying based on the mere expression of a point of view."
"We strongly disagree with the premise that our policies and practices have a chilling effect on speech as claimed in the lawsuit," Schlissel wrote."The lawsuit’s characterizations are cynical and sad."
"They are cynical because of the contortions needed to avoid recognizing the many examples of conservative speech at our university; they are sad because the freedoms and values at stake are too important."