Celine Ryan, Campus Reform, October 28, 2019

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A recent poll by The College Pulse found that more than half of students do not believe that dressing in “offensive” costumes is protected free expression and support the notion that those who partake in such costumes should “be punished.”

The survey was conducted by asking 1,501 university students several questions regarding current events and societal norms, including “Are highly offensive Halloween costumes (such as blackface) a protected form of free speech on campus, or should students who wear them be punished?”

A majority of students — 51 percent — indicated that students who wore such costumes should “be punished,” while 49 percent said that “highly offensive” costumes are “a protected form of free speech.”

The number of students saying others should be punished for “offensive” Halloween costumes is even higher at elite universities, with 58 percent of Ivy League students saying that wearing “offensive” costumes should have consequences.

California students are on high alert when it comes to insensitive Halloween costumes, with three out of five students within the California State University system in favor of punishment for “offensive” costumes.

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