FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Free speech advocate to speak at Bates Oct. 2

LEWISTON, Maine -- Harvey A. Silverglate, co-author of "The Shadow University: The Betrayal of Liberty on America's Campuses," will discuss "Violations of the Right to Conscience on America's College Campuses" at Bates College (Saturday) Oct. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 113 of Carnegie Science. The public is invited to attend without charge.

"The Shadow University" documents the status of individual liberties on colleges and universities across the nation. Free speech, equality of rights and respect for private conscience are all in jeopardy, according to Silverglate, who claims that the biggest contributor to the erosion of individual liberties on campus is college speech codes that are designed to limit so-called hate speech or biased speech.

Silverglate is a partner in the Boston law firm of Silverglate & Good, specializing in criminal defense and civil liberties law. He is a longtime member of the American Civil Liberties Union and has served the Massachusetts state affiliate as a member of its board of directors for two decades. A civil liberties columnist, Silverglate's op-ed pieces have appeared in The Harvard Law Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Silverglate's visit to Bates is sponsored by the Bates College Republicans, which has been training students for meaningful public service since 1966.