ACLU of Colorado Protects Colorado State University Students

CSU allows students to hang Amendment 44 flyers after involvement by the ACLU of Colorado. The ACLU of Colorado was first contacted by students at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado, who alleged that they were denied the right to post flyers discussing ballot measure Amendment 44, which would have amended Colorado statutes to legalize possession of an ounce of marijuana for adults age 21 and over. According to the students, when they wanted to hang flyers in the dormitories encouraging voter registration and a “yes” vote on Amendment 44, a school administrator refused to allow the flyers to be posted on the grounds that they “promoted drug use.” The ACLU of Colorado contacted CSU’s attorneys, who stated that there was a misunderstanding and that the University had always intended to let the students post the flyers. Staff Attorney Taylor Pendergrass stated, “The ACLU of Colorado is concerned with any restraint on free speech, and especially restraint on speech related to state ballot issues, which goes to the core of the First Amendment and Article II Section 10 of the Colorado Constitution. CSU should be commended for responding quickly and appropriately to resolve any misunderstanding about the students' right to post these flyers."