College Free Speech on Campus Case- Yu V. University of La Verne
By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 This week, the California Court of Appeals, Second District, issued a decision in the matter of Yu v. University of La Verne . This case, involving a private college and law school, is very interesting and explores the free speech rights of college students. It also may be applied outside of its limited forum (private university) in the future. Yu involved law student Katrina Yu who was punished for alleged plagiarism and academic dishonesty when she submitted an assignment which contained verbatim internet content. The assignment also contained content alleged to have been copied from another student. In May of 2010, Yu and three other law students were informed that they were being investigated for plagiarism and academic dishonesty. While the other university students involved negotiated an unknown outcome, Yu took her matter to a three panel hearing within La Verne. After the ...