University of Michigan softens trespass policy that bars 2,000 from public campus for life

Source: Ann Arbor News

The University of Michigan has revised its decade-old campus trespass policy under which 2,050 individuals were barred for life from the public campus in Ann Arbor.

The new policy limits the ban to one year, although it could be extended "if cause exists." It also requires banned individuals be given a written explanation of the reason for the ban in a “revised trespass warning form,” something that didn't happen under the old policy.

The American Civil Liberties Union and others had charged the policy was unconstitutional in that it lacked due process and could be used to chill free speech on the public campus following months of reports by AnnArbor.com on the trespass policy's use. In November, the ACLU of Michigan threatened to sue U-M after an Oct. 24 report by AnnArbor.com detailed the university's use of the policy to banish then-state Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell and others from the 3,300-acre U-M campus.

U-M announced changes to the policy today in its campus publication the Record Update.

Read more: http://annarbor.com/news/university-of-michigan-softens-campus-bans-policy-that-had-barred-2000-for-life-from-public-campus/

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