As a result of Liberty Counsel’s demand letter, the student newspaper of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) has backed off the arbitrary use of adding unwanted personal pronouns to a student’s newspaper article byline. When the student had voiced his religious objections to the “he/him” pronouns and requested they be removed, the university newspaper staff chose to strike the whole article instead. But now, the university has restored the student’s article without the pronouns. 

In response to Liberty Counsel, USNH also conveyed that it does not have an official policy requiring staff, employees, and students to use pronouns in their bylines or email signature blocks. 

In the letter, Liberty Counsel noted the constitutional right to free speech and expression includes both the right to speak and the right not to speak at all. According to the student’s Christian faith, he believes that gender is objective, not subjective, and that these sexes cannot change. Under the law, compelling a person into “involuntary affirmation” of any religious, political, or ideological view is a violation of the First Amendment.

“Students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” wrote Liberty Counsel. 

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The University System of New Hampshire made the right decision to correct this free speech violation and restore the student’s article. As a result, they will no longer require authors to use personal pronouns. The First Amendment guarantees a person’s right to express, or not to express, according to his or her religious beliefs and political values.”