UMass Student Wins Free Speech Appeal Over Harassment Probe

The University of Massachusetts violated a graduate student’s First Amendment rights when the school sanctioned him for inappropriate comments and conduct toward female students, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

“There is no evidence whatsoever that Doe’s behavior degraded any individual’s academic pursuits or the academic environment generally” so as to justify the university’s sanctions against him, Judge Lara E. Montecalvo of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit said in the opinion.

Four female resident assistants reported the John Doe plaintiff in 2023, alleging he touched their feet and gave them hugs without their permission, and ...