UVa Lawn room doors will have limited space for flyers and posters next year

Bryan McKenzie 23 hrs ago



Lawn door decorations will be limited in size but not content next year, after UVa clarified its policy on the matter following a profane sign hung late last year.

ERIN EDGERTON, THE DAILY PROGRESS

University of Virginia students living in Lawn residences next year may still post profane four-letter oaths on their dorm room doors, but the size of the print will be a lot smaller. ... Students living on the Lawn and Range will need to limit the size of posters, flyers and messages to two pin boards supplied by the school and are forbidden from using the rest of the door to post messages. Anything that does not fit on the pin boards could be removed by UVa housing officials, according to a new university policy

The new policy comes six months after alumni complained about a fully decorated door proclaiming “F*** UVa” and accusing the school and UVa police of racism, generated social media debates, alumni calls to drop donations to the school, student calls of rights violations and led university security ‘ambassadors’ to be placed to protect the sign from being torn down.

Eventually, the university’s president, rector and general counsel defended the profane door, and others that sprang up in support, as protected political speech.

“Last semester, [UVa President Jim Ryan] pledged to review university policy on the display of signs on Lawn room doors and find a better balance between protecting the First Amendment rights of the student residents and preserving the unique and public character of the Lawn for members of our community and visitors from all over the world,” said UVa spokesman Brian Coy.

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