Board approves revised Permanent Memorandum 79 after public criticism and counsel explanation

The LSU Board of Supervisors approved a revised version of Permanent Memorandum 79 on freedom of speech and expression after public comment raised objections that the draft would weaken campus free speech protections.

What the board approved: The item presented by Provost Haggerty requested approval of the updated policy, which the board’s general counsel said was intended to render LSU compliant with legislation and executive action passed in 2024. The general counsel described the changes as required by law: “We really took the legislation...and just added particularly exactly what the legislation required here,” counsel said during committee discussion, adding that changes were meant to comply with the statute and were not intended to create new policy beyond legal requirements.

Public comment and concerns

Three student speakers during the registered public-comment period urged the board not to adopt the revised memorandum. Ryan (a senior and student leader) told the board he found language in the draft “concerning” and warned the policy could be broadened to target student groups. Zane Suiter Benfield, another student, said the memorandum “specifically targets faculty” and criticized revisions that, he said, weakened prior commitments to protections for free expression. Gabriela Warrick called the board a “cabal of unelected oligarchs” and argued the policy followed national moves to suppress protest; she linked the timing to other campus disciplinary actions and said the memorandum would chill student and faculty speech.

Legal explanation and board action

General counsel told the board the revisions were in response to changes in 2024 law and an executive order: counsel said the university amended PM 79 to reflect new legal requirements and to add classroom-related constraints the statute requires (for example, restrictions on motivating students to adopt a particular political viewpoint in class). A member of the board asked whether the changes were merely wordsmithing; counsel responded that most edits were compliance-driven and “not substantive” beyond what the statute required.

After discussion, a motion to approve the revised PM 79 was made, seconded and approved by voice vote with no roll-call tally recorded. Board members also heard public comment opposing the draft during the meeting before the vote.

Why it matters: The memorandum governs campus free-expression practices across LSU institutions and was updated to comply with 2024 state action and a related executive order. Students and faculty raised concerns that the revisions reduce existing protections and could be used to discipline or restrict campus expression beyond the statute’s intent.

Ending

The board approved the updated Permanent Memorandum 79; the general counsel and provost told the board the revisions were made to conform to state statute and an executive order enacted in 2024. Public commenters said the changes could chill speech; those objections were recorded in the meeting minutes and during public comment.