CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors is backing away from a proposal to stifle dissent among board members.
The back- pedaling comes amid calls from several state lawmakers to abandon the proposal.
The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/1uTHpYg0 ) reports that Rector George Martin promised significant revisions to address the First Amendment concerns that were raised.
The proposal came up at a committee meeting Wednesday. A draft of a so-called statement of expectations suggested that board members not be allowed to speak out publicly against board decisions or speak to the media, without first getting the approval of the board’s leader.
One critic has been state Sen. J. Chapman “Chap” Petersen. The Fairfax Democrat and graduate of U.Va.’s law school called the proposal “absurd.”
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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