Tyler Coward of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to speak at Maine Policy’s May luncheon
Tyler Coward of the Foundation for Individual Rights
in Education to speak at Maine Policy’s May luncheon
PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center on Thursday, May 23 will host Tyler Coward of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for a luncheon in Portland as part of its 2019 Maine Policy Discussion luncheon series. The presentation will focus on strategies for securing freedom of speech and supporting the First Amendment on public college and university campuses in Maine. Coward is a 2010 graduate of Indiana University with dual degrees in political science and history, as well as a 2015 graduate of the Michigan State University College of Law. In his role, Coward travels the country advising and educating state legislators on the importance of protecting free speech on college campuses.
FIRE is a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation based in Philadelphia with a mission to protect free speech and due process rights at America’s colleges and universities.
Coward and FIRE are supporting LD 665 this session, a bill sponsored by Rep. John Andrews that would ensure students, organizations and guest speakers can exercise their First Amendment rights in all publicly accessible outdoor areas on college campuses in Maine. The bill would also prevent public colleges and universities in Maine from establishing “free speech zones.”
In his remarks, Coward will discuss the merits of LD 665 and share information about FIRE’s efforts to defend individual liberties throughout the country.
“FIRE supports LD 665 because it codifies rules that courts already use to determine whether restrictions on speech on a public college campus pass constitutional muster. It also helpfully allows persons whose rights were violated under the act to bring suit in state court to vindicate their rights,” Coward said in testimony to support the measure.
The luncheon will be held at DiMillo’s on the Water in Portland from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Coward will be available to speak with media from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. following the event. His recent work for FIRE can be found here.