Censorship of Art, Movies, and Theater on Campus

10. Art, Film, and Theater Censorship

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Colleges must protect the freedom of artists, and resist all demands for censorship. Sexual harassment policies should note explicitly that academic content is not covered by such policies, and they cannot be used to censor analysis of sexuality.

Introduction:

Cardinal Newman Society president Patrick Reilly declared that after the group led email campaigns at 43 Catholic colleges planning to allow the Vagina Monologues to be performed, about a dozen colleges decided to ban it.(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Feb. 26, 2003) Sexual content is the primary reason for censoring art, movies, and theater on college campuses, and the Vagina Monologues are now the most common target of censorship.

(a) Arizona State University: four fraternities were disciplined for participating in a pornographic movie shot on campus in July, 2002. Because student Brian Buck appeared in the pornographic film, he was forced to resign as vice president of student government, banned from living on campus, sentence to community service, and required to write a letter about integrity.

(erinoconner.org, April 1, 2003; Agapepress.org, Dec. 13, 2002)

(b) Columbia University: The Columbia College Conservative Club protested the use of university space and funds for a Palestinian film festival in January 2003 sponsored by the Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures Department, because posters for the event showed a map of the Middle East without Israel.

(Columbia College Conservative Club Press Release, Jan. 2003; film festival)

(c) Grand Rapids Community College: after a state legislator on the finance committee asked if state money was being used for The Actors’ Theatre production of Corpus Christi, the college moved the play to the Fountain Street Church.

(National Coalition Against Censorship report, Spring 2003)

(d) Indiana University: two students were sent before a disciplinary committee for appearing in a pornographic movie shot on campus in Oct. 2002. Although no criminal acts were committed, campus officials threatened to arrest the film company for trespassing if it ever sets foot on campus.

(Agapepress.org, Dec. 13, 2002)

(e) University of Kansas: In April 2003, Kansas state Sen. Susan Wagle introduced an amendment that would deny funding to any state university department if “obscene” videos were shown in undergraduate sexuality classes, eliminating $3.1 million from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare because of sexual videos used in professor Dennis Dailey’s class on "Human Sexuality in Everyday Life." However, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, citing academic freedom, vetoed the provision. Wagle later amendment a budget bill to require all state universities to draft policies on using explicit materials in sexuality classes, on sexual harassment policies for these classes, and on teaching about pedophilia.

Wagle filed a formal complaint with the University of Kansas, accusing Dailey of using "street" language and gestures and suggestive remarks in his "Human Sexuality in Everyday Life" class. Wagle has cited evidence from a private detective hired to investigate Dailey. Wagle learned that Dailey uses explicit videos shot in clinical settings in his class from Jessica Zahn, a student in Dailey’s class and a legislative intern for Wagle. On May 12, the University of Kansas investigated, but dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, and the Kansas Attorney General refused to investigate them.

Gov. Sebelius signed a bill with Wagle’s watered-down amendment that requires public universities by January, 2004 to implement policies on sexual harassment, the use of explicit material, and instruction about pedophilia in sexuality classes. Sebelius called the amendment "an acceptable balance that will both preserve academic freedom and require university administrators to adopt policies on issues of concern to many Kansans."

(Associated Press, May 3, 2003; May 13, 2003; Kansas City Star, May 23, 2003, http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/5931382.htm,

University of Kansas report on Dennis Dailey: http://www.ur.ku.edu/News/sw303/report.html; waglelies.com)

COMMENT:

Universities should adopt policies to prohibit the filing of formal complaints by those with no connection to a university or direct knowledge of what happens in a class. The mere presence of investigations for frivolous charges can have a chilling effect on academic freedom.

(f) Princeton University: opponents complained that an exhibit in Bernstein Gallery was anti-Catholic bigotry. The exhibit by Juan Sanchez called "Ricanstructions" includes images of naked female torsos arranged in the shape of a cross, a ripped image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Catholic devotional items.

(National Review Online, May 30, 2003; Juan Sanchez)

(g) Regent University (Virginia): censorship guidelines for student-made films are being developed after Pat Robertson, Regent's founder and chancellor, was offended by “horrible” and “inappropriate” films at a student film festival in Spring 2002 and walked out. At an October 2002 forum, Robertson denounced dark satirical comedies: "If we go into this black stuff… I don't think that exactly pleases the Lord."

(Virginian-Pilot, Jan. 10, 2003)

(h) Slippery Rock University (Pennsylvania): campus officials resists efforts by some offended viewers to move and cover in cardboard a sculpture by Adam Tate, a student at Edinboro University. The sculpture of Freud’s head with a gun pointed at the nostril (a reference to the destructive qualities of the cocaine Freud took) offended some people on campus. It was part of an annual outdoor exhibition of art by students from local colleges.

(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 17, 2003)

(i) University of Central Oklahoma: the chair of the art department, Dr. Palmer, removed most of one student’s work from a student-curated exhibit in the art department hallway, and another student’s art was returned to the exhibit only after a red tank top was pasted to it. Palmer removed the artwork without informing the artist or the curator, and reported that he did because the art offended his secretary, students were making derogatory comments about it, and a conservative corporate sponsor who was going to see the show might refuse to give money to the department.

In addition, a new sign was posted outside the photo lab: "NOTICE: All subject matter photographed in the UCO JOURNALISM PHOTO STUDIO MUST BE 'G' OR 'FAMILY' RATING. NO MALE OR FEMALE NUDITY IS ALLOWED (WHETHER FULL OR PARTIAL NUDITY) In addition, no objects or devices depicting nudity or having any sexual content can be photographed. Any students violating this department policy will lose Studio and Photo Lab privileges."

(National Coalition Against Censorship, April 24, 2003; May 8, 2003)

(j) University of Virginia: The University of Virginia Pep Band has been banned from halftime of football games, and will be replaced by a traditional marching band in 2004. The “scramble band” often used humor in its halftime performances, and was previously banned in 1993 and later prohibited by the athletic department from using numerous subjects, including sex, drinking, censorship, corporate sponsors, George W. Bush, and Ralph Nader. University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III for a halftime performance at the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl that mocked opponent West Virginia with a reference to the Beverly Hillbillies.

(Washington Post, April 24, 2003, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34946-2003Apr24.html; http://www.people.virginia.edu/~awl2t/pr/censored.html; Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Jan. 2, 2003)

Back to 2002-03 State of Academic Freedom Report

Back to www.collegefreedom.org