At the University of Montana, a sex column has sparked a fervent response from a member of the university staff. Kristen Juras, a University of Montana law professor who opposes the publication of the sex column in the school's Kaimin newspaper, is threatening to take her case to the state legislature unless the newspaper establishes written policies for reviewing content and hiring employees. As a faculty member of the school, Juras says the column is ""inappropriate"" for college students and negatively affects her reputation. Juras also says that because the columnist is not an accredited ""sexpert,"" she is not qualified to write a sex column.
In the past, school newspapers that receive school funds must operate within certain guidelines. However, though the paper does receive student fees, it generates 65 percent of its income through ad revenue. Furthermore, the paper operates in an office purchased by a private donor. Regardless of whether the complaint came from a professor or a student, the newspaper has the right to decide the best course of action for the column, not a power play by a university official.
The most glaring issue in this case is the professor's actions to infringe upon the columnist's freedom of speech. Having gotten her degree in law, we would expect Juras to know about freedom of the press and an individual's right to free speech. If the newspaper bends to the professor's will, there would be little stopping her or other readers from complaining about anything they deem offensive, leading to censorship and conformity for the independent newspaper. Student newspapers are about appealing to the students who write in it, and the student's column was by no means meant to offend anyone.
If Juras does not agree with the material, she should just avoid reading it. Her reputation was not connected to the sex column in any way until she brought up this case and involved herself in the matter.
Additionally, the claim that a college sex columnist should have a degree in sexology is as ridiculous as expecting a McDonald's employee to have gone to culinary school. The writer even discloses at the beginning of her column that though she is not an actual ""sexpert,"" she has ""years of experience."" If Juras feels that a student without a degree in sexology is unprofessional, she might want to think twice about how it looks having a law professor contacting her state legislature to complain about a sex column.
Working around hormone-filled college students, Juras should know that sex is on students' minds and they have every right to write and read what they want on the matter. With local students outraged about Juras' complaints, maybe she should take the columnist's advice and get some protection. At the very least, Juras could stop being so anal about the content in the school newspaper.
