University Officials Must Face Lawsuit Over Treatment of Conservative Newspaper

They discovered a policy requiring the paper's distribution bins to be dumped in a storage yard

PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal appeals court has revived a complaint by the creators of a conservative-leaning student newspaper who say Oregon State University officials arbitrarily restricted the paper's distribution.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said yesterday in OSU Student Alliance v. Ray that it had "little trouble" finding constitutional violations on the part of university officials. The three-judge panel's ruling reversed a lower-court decision to dismiss the case.

Supporters of The Liberty filed the lawsuit in 2009, alleging university President Ed Ray and other school officials granted the official campus newspaper numerous distribution bins while arbitrarily limiting The Liberty's reach.