Speech Codes

A speech code is any rule or regulation that limits, restricts, or bans speech beyond the strict legal limitations upon freedom of speech or press found in the strict legal definitions of harassment, slander, libel, and fighting words. Such codes are common in the workplace, in universities, and in private organizations.

In the United States, the Supreme Court has found that speech codes in public universities are unconstitutional (Doe v. University of Michigan, 1989).