3 Students Face U-Md. Action For Shouting at Cheney Speech
Vice President's Wife Addressed Policy Forum
By Amy Argetsinger
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 5, 2004; Page B01
Three University of Maryland students are facing disciplinary action for an incident in which they shouted questions and comments to Lynne Cheney, the vice president's wife, during a public forum at the school.
There was no open microphone at Cheney's Feb. 29 appearance on the College Park campus, and guests had been told to submit questions for her in writing. Instead, two of the students called out their questions -- one on gay marriage, the other on reparations for the descendants of slaves -- from their seats, and the third loudly uttered a vulgarity in response to one of Cheney's answers.
Two of the students said they have been accused of "disorderly or disruptive conduct," under a University of Maryland policy designed to protect the rights of speakers from being shouted off stage or drowned out by contentious audience members.
The students said that they weren't disrupting Cheney's speech -- that they were just asking questions. And their case has drawn the scrutiny of civil liberties advocates, who say the university's action infringes on the students' right to free speech.
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more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A50129-2004Apr4?language=printerdiscussing now on CSPAN.