AB553: Bill Text

AB553,,97 3. Designate any area of a district campus a “free speech zone” or otherwise create policies restricting noncommercial expressive activities to a particular area of a district campus.

AB553,,98 4. Require a permit from any individual or group as a condition of being allowed to engage in expressive activities protected under this section, unless the individual or group is seeking exclusive control of a location for its expressive activity at a reserved time. Any such permitting process may not be overly burdensome, and applications for permits shall be evaluated solely using published content and viewpoint-neutral criteria.

AB553,,99 5. Charge security fees to a student or a student group, as part of an application for those expressive activities that require a permit, based on the content of the expression, the content of the expression of an invited guest, or the anticipated reaction to the student’s, student group’s, or invited guest’s expression. Whether the security fee is required and its amount may be determined only on the basis of content and viewpoint-neutral criteria. Content and viewpoint-neutral criteria include the time of the event, the location of the event, the anticipated size of the invited audience, and whether alcohol will be served. Any district board charging security fees pursuant to this subdivision shall publish the criteria it uses for assessing those charges and shall have a published process for waving the fees for those who cannot afford to pay them.

AB553,,100 6. Sanction individuals or groups for discriminatory harassment unless the speech targets its victim on the basis of the victim’s membership in a class protected under federal, state, or local law, and is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively bars a student from receiving equal access to educational opportunities or benefits. This subdivision does not preclude a district board from providing additional resources to a student affected by speech that cannot be sanctioned under this subdivision or from taking nonpunitive actions.

AB553,,101 (b) All indoor areas that have been designated as public forums and outdoor public areas generally accessible to the public and owned or operated by a district board, except classrooms while they are in use for instructional purposes, shall be governed by rules applicable to traditional public forums.

AB553,,102 (c) 1. Nothing in this section enables individuals to engage in conduct that intentionally, materially, and substantially disrupts another’s expressive activity if that activity is occurring in a campus space reserved for that activity under the exclusive use or control of a particular group.

AB553,,103 2. For purposes of subd. 1., and subject to subd. 3., “materially and substantially disrupts” means when a person, with the intent or knowledge of doing so, significantly hinders another person’s or group’s expressive activity, prevents the communication of the message, or prevents the transaction of the business of a lawful meeting, gathering, or procession by doing any of the following:

AB553,,104 a. Engaging in fighting, violence, or seriously disruptive behavior.

AB553,,105 b. Physically blocking or significantly hindering any person from attending, listening to, viewing, or otherwise participating in an expressive activity.

AB553,,106 3. For purposes of subd. 1., the phrase “materially and substantially disrupts” does not include conduct that is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution or article I, section 3, of the Wisconsin Constitution. This protected conduct includes lawful protests and counterprotests in the outdoor areas of campus generally accessible to members of the public and indoor areas that have been designated as public forums, except classrooms while they are in use for instructional purposes, except during times when those areas have been reserved in advance for other events, or minor, brief, or fleeting nonviolent disruptions of events that are isolated and short in duration.

AB553,,107 (d) Nothing in this section limits the right of student expression at campus locations that are not specified in this section.

AB553,,108 (e) A district board shall do all of the following:

AB553,,109 1. Conduct a biennial survey of students and employees on First Amendment rights, academic freedom, perceived political, ideological, or other bias at the district schools, and whether campus culture promotes self-censorship. The survey shall be conducted using statistically sound methodology and in a manner that protects the confidentiality of the survey’s respondents.

AB553,,110 2. Biennially submit to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) a report detailing the results of the survey under subd. 1.

AB553,,111 3. Annually provide all students and employees with instruction in academic freedom, due process, and First Amendment protections.

AB553,,112 (3) Academic freedom. (a) No district board policy or employee may limit the expressive rights and academic freedom of an instructor of a district school to do any of the following:

AB553,,113 1. Conduct research, publish, lecture, or teach in the academic setting.

AB553,,114 2. Require students to participate in instructional exercises with legitimate pedagogical purposes that involve exploring, or arguing for or against, any argument or assertion.

AB553,,115 3. Speak publicly as a private citizen on matters of public concern.

AB553,,116 (b) Nothing in this subsection shall be interpreted to prohibit a district board from requiring an instructor to perform the instructor’s academic duties or from setting performance standards consistent with this subsection or as required by other law of this state.

AB553,,117 (4) Notice; institutional aid. (a) A district board that violates this section, for 4 years following the date of the finding of the violation under par. (b), shall include a disclaimer on all notices, both printed or electronic, to individuals regarding admission to a technical college of the district, in a type size no smaller than the majority of the rest of the notice, in substantially the following form: “NOTICE: We are required by the State of Wisconsin to inform you that within the last 4 years ... [insert name of technical college] has violated the free speech or academic freedom provisions in the Wisconsin statutes.”

AB553,,118 (b) The penalty under par. (a) applies if a state or federal court in this state finds, on the basis of a preponderance of the evidence, that the district board violated this section.

AB553,,119 (5) Cause of action. (a) Any person identified in par. (b) may bring an action in circuit court against a district board for violation of this section and may seek any of the following:

AB553,,120 1. An injunction against violation of this section.

AB553,,121 2. Recovery from the district board of damages, courts costs, and attorney fees for persons aggrieved by the violation.

AB553,,122 (b) Any of the following persons may bring an action under par. (a):

AB553,,123 1. The attorney general.

AB553,,124 2. A district attorney.

AB553,,125 3. Any person whose expressive rights were violated through the violation of this section.

AB553,,126 (c) Subject to par. (d), in an action brought under par. (a), if the court finds a violation, the court shall award to the plaintiffs all of the following:

AB553,,127 1. Total damages for all prevailing persons aggrieved by the violation of not less than $500 for the initial violation plus $50 for each day the violation remains ongoing, which shall accrue starting on the day after the complaint is served on the district board.

AB553,,128 2. Notwithstanding s. 814.04 (1), court costs and reasonable attorney fees.

AB553,,129 (d) In an action brought under par. (a), the total damages, excluding court costs and attorney fees, that may be awarded to plaintiffs in a case or cases stemming from a single controversy may not exceed an aggregate amount of $100,000. In violations harming multiple plaintiffs, the court shall divide the damages equitably among them until the maximum award is exhausted, if applicable.

AB553,,130 (e) If a court awards to plaintiffs damages, court costs, or attorney fees in an action brought under this subsection, the district board shall pay the total amount of the award from moneys that the district board has allocated for its administrative expenses.

AB553,,131 (f) Section 893.80 does not apply to an action brought against a district board under this section.

AB553,6 Section 6. 38.35 of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,,133 38.35 Due process guarantees in disciplinary proceedings. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB553,,134 (a) “Disciplinary proceeding” means an investigatory interview or hearing, or any other procedure adopted and used by a district board, relating to an alleged violation that may result in disciplinary action against a student, employee, or organization.

AB553,,135 (b) “Employee” means a staff member, faculty member, or administrator employed by a district board.

AB553,,136 (c) “Fully participate” includes having the opportunity to make opening and closing statements, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to provide the accuser or accused with support, guidance, and advice.

AB553,,137 (d) “Organization” means a student organization, employee organization, or independent organization that is officially recognized by a district board.

AB553,,138 (2) Due process guarantees. (a) A student who has enrolled in a district school has a property interest in maintaining the student’s status as a student that may be terminated against the student’s will only for due cause, including failure to meet academic standards, failure to pay fees or other costs required for continued enrollment, failure to meet the district board’s attendance requirements, or a violation of the district board’s conduct rules. A student who is accused of a violation of disciplinary or conduct rules that carries a potential penalty of suspension of more than 9 days or expulsion shall have the right to be represented, at the student’s expense, by a licensed attorney or, if the student prefers, a non-attorney advocate, who shall be permitted to fully participate during the disciplinary proceeding.

AB553,,139 (b) In addition to any substantive or procedural rights set forth in an employee’s employment contract, an employee who is accused of a violation of disciplinary or conduct rules shall have the right to be represented, at the employee’s expense, by a licensed attorney or, if the employee prefers, a non-attorney advocate, who shall be permitted to fully participate during the disciplinary proceeding.

AB553,,140 (c) An organization that is accused of a violation of disciplinary or conduct rules shall have the right to be represented, at the organization’s expense, by a licensed attorney or, if the organization prefers, a non-attorney advocate, who shall be permitted to fully participate during the disciplinary proceeding.

AB553,,141 (d) If a disciplinary proceeding arises from a complaint by a student against a student, employee, or organization, the complaining student shall also have the right to be represented, at that student’s expense, by a licensed attorney or, if the complaining student prefers, a non-attorney advocate.

AB553,,142 (e) Prior to initiating a disciplinary proceeding or investigation, a district board shall notify the student, employee, or organization that a complaint has been made and inform the student, employee, or organization of his, her, or its due process rights.

AB553,,143 (f) In a disciplinary proceeding, a district board is not obligated to follow the state’s rules of evidence but shall make a good faith effort to include only relevant, probative evidence and shall exclude evidence that is neither relevant nor probative.

AB553,,144 (g) Before a disciplinary proceeding is scheduled, and at least 2 business days before a student, employee, or organization may be questioned by a district board or agent of the district board about allegations of violations of the district board’s disciplinary or conduct rules, the district board shall advise the student, employee, or organization in writing of the student’s, employee’s, or organization’s rights under this subsection.

AB553,,145 (h) The right of a student, employee, or organization to be represented by an attorney or a non-attorney advocate applies until the conclusion of any appellate process.

AB553,,146 (i) A district board shall ensure that all parties to a disciplinary proceeding, including the accused student, the accused employee, the accused organization, and, if applicable, the accusing student, have access to all material evidence, including both inculpatory and exculpatory evidence, not later than one week prior to the start of any formal hearing or similar adjudicatory proceeding. This evidence may include complainant statements, 3rd-party witness statements, electronically stored information, written communications, social media posts, and demonstrative evidence but may not include any materials that are privileged under applicable federal or state law.

AB553,,147 (j) A district board shall ensure that a disciplinary proceeding is carried out free from conflicts of interest by prohibiting overlap of administrative or adjudicative roles. An individual may not serve in more than one of the following roles:

AB553,,148 1. Counselor or advocate of the accuser or victim.

AB553,,149 2. Investigator.

AB553,,150 3. Hearing panel member.

AB553,,151 4. District board prosecutor.

AB553,,152 5. Adjudicator.

AB553,,153 6. Appellate adjudicator.

AB553,,154 (k) This subsection does not affect the obligation of a district board to provide equivalent rights to a student who is the accuser or victim in the disciplinary proceeding, including equivalent opportunities to have others present and fully participate during the disciplinary proceeding, to not limit the choice of attorney or non-attorney advocate in any meeting or in the disciplinary proceeding, and to provide simultaneous notification of the district board’s procedures for the accused and the accuser or victim to appeal the result of the disciplinary proceeding.

AB553,,155 (L) Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the temporary suspension of a student, employee, or organization pending an investigation.

AB553,,156 (3) Penalties. (a) A district board that violates this section more than once in a 10-year period is ineligible for allocation of grants under s. 39.435, except grants awarded under s. 39.435 (2) or (5), for a period of no less than one fiscal year.

AB553,,157 (b) In addition to the period of ineligibility under par. (a), if a district board administrator causes the violation of this section, the district board is not eligible for allocation of grants under s. 39.435, except grants awarded under s. 39.435 (2) or (5), until the administrator is permanently removed from his or her administrative role.

AB553,,158 (c) The penalties under this subsection apply if any of the following find, on the basis of a preponderance of the evidence, that the district board violated this section:

AB553,,159 1. A state or federal court in this state.

AB553,,160 2. The higher educational aids board.

AB553,,161 3. Any standing committee of the legislature having jurisdiction over matters relating to higher education.

AB553,7 Section 7. 39.285 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,,163 39.285 (1) (c) The board shall ensure that any formula approved under par. (a) takes into consideration any University of Wisconsin institution’s loss of funding allocation under s. 36.42 (3) (a) and (b) or technical college district board’s loss of funding allocation under s. 38.35 (3) (a) and (b).

AB553,,164 (end)