College Town Battles ACLU in Federal Court Over "Scarlet Letters"
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence Journal reports on the ongoing legal battle between the American Civil Liberties Union and Narragansett, RI over a 2005 nuisance ordinance that requires the placement of orange warning stickers on homes where public nuisance violations have occurred. Narragansett is home to a branch of the University of Rhode Island. The ACLU is asking the federal court to declare Narragansett's controversial "orange sticker" policy, meant to clamp down on unruly off-campus parties, unconstitutional. University of Rhode Island Student Senate sued the town in U.S. District Court with help from the ACLU, charging that the ordinance punishes people without giving them a chance to appeal, fails to define offending behaviors and targets people at parties or gatherings even if they have done nothing wrong. The town has asked the court to rule in its favor, arguing that the injury the students claim to have suffered does not amount to an impairment of their constitutional rights.

 

Students Association Works to Improve Off-campus Safety 
COLUMBIA, MO - According to an article in the Student Newspaper of the University of Missouri, The Maneater,  The Missouri Students Association is providing solutions to alleviate off-campus safety concerns. As part of the MSA's efforts, leaders reviewed a recent collection of data from the MU campus and surrounding areas showing the off-campus areas near MU are no more dangerous than MU property. In fact, MU often had more crime reports than the adjacent areas.