Evangelist Challenges University's Speech Policy

On Monday, a traveling Christian evangelist filed a federal lawsuit against Georgia Southern University, challenging its campus speech policy. The complaint (full text) in Bloedorn v. Grube, (SD GA, filed 7/13/2009), alleges that while the University has opened accessible areas on campus for outside speakers, it still requires application for a permit and reserves discretion to approve or disapprove any particular speaker. It also limits the length of the speaker's visit. Plaintiff Benjamin Bloedorn visits campuses 4 to 6 hours per day, for two or three days in a row to engage students in discussion about the existence of God and the teachings of Christianity. Bloedorn was arrested by a campus police officer after he insisted on speaking without applying for a permit. His lawsuit insists that the University's permit policy is an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech. Alliance Defense Fund announced the filing of the lawsuit.