Monday, May 5, 2008

Hate Speech Scenarios Quiz

In order for speech to be sanctioned it must:
1. Be directed at a captive audience;
2. Be intended to harm or otherwise interfere with the education or employment of the targeted individual or identifiable small group; and
3. Be judged by reasonable person in light of all the relevant particulars to be severe or pervasive enough to constitute a hostile or abusive environment

See if you can differentiate the difference between hate speech and protected speech

1. In a class discussion concerning women in the workplace a male student expressed his belief that women are by nature better equipped to be mothers than executives, and should not be employed in upper level management positions. Can this be enforced upon by the university?
2. A student living in a university dorm continually calls a black student living on his floor “nigger” whenever they pass each other in the hall way. Is this hate speech and can action be taken upon by the university?
3. Students form a White Supremacy Council and hold meeting on the campus lawn at which they display a swastika, protest affirmative actions, and use racial epithet to express their feelings and opinions
4. Someone enters a room of two black college students and scrawls a note on the mirror, “African monkeys, why don’t you go back to the jungle?”
5. A group of white male students follow a black female student across campus shouting racist and sexist epithets and suggesting the possibility of imminent sexual assault
6. White students draw a blackface cartoon of the composer Beethoven and post it on the bulletin board of a predominantly black dormitory.


Click here for Quiz Answers

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