I submitted the following letter to The Wall Street Journal on May 18th, 2025, in response to a recent op-ed by Alison Cowan titled “How Colleges Can Weed Out Lawbreakers.” She suggests questions for prospective students such as whether it is justified to pull a fire alarm in a crowded auditorium to protest a speaker, deface property, or spit on another person.

Although the Journal has chosen not to publish my letter, I believe the questions raised are worthy of broader discussion. I invite readers to share their thoughts.

Editor, WSJ:

Commenting on Alison Cowan’s op-ed in the WSJ, “How Colleges Can Weed Out Lawbreakers,” where she proposes a series of questions to prospective students, aren’t all these questions about obeying existing federal, state and local laws?

Do students have the right to walk off Broadway onto the Columbia campus, or off Massachusetts Ave into Harvard yard, and in that status become subject to a different body of laws than those that prevail elsewhere in our country?

Does the status of student provide immunity from jurisdiction for trespassing, destruction of property, restriction of free speech, disruption of college events, and interference, intimidation, or attacks of other persons?

Please feel free share your thoughts in the comments below to continue the conversation… ~DJ