Hartford, CT — A bill aimed at tackling hate speech on college campuses is dividing students, professors, and lawmakers in Connecticut.
Senate Bill 980, introduced in the state legislature, would require colleges and universities to hire a Title VI coordinator to handle complaints of racial discrimination.
Schools would also need to adopt at least one additional policy, such as expanding anti-discrimination training, creating task forces, or working with law enforcement.
Title VI is a federal law prohibiting racial and ethnic discrimination in federally funded institutions.
“The purpose and intent of Senate Bill 980 is really quite simple. It’s to protect students from illegal hate incidents and racial discrimination by asking universities to each designate a Title IV coordinator,” said Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, a co-sponsor. “If students do not feel safe on campus, we cannot expect them to learn.”
Opponents argue the bill could lead to increased surveillance and police intervention.
Tess Goodman, a librarian at Wesleyan University, called it a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“It creates a pipeline for surveillance and police intervention that would damage our higher education institutions and endanger our students,” she said.
The debate comes as student protests escalate nationwide. Some fear the bill could suppress campus activism.
