Does the Fourteenth Amendment give community college students the right to distribute election materials at any time?
<p>I am a student at a local community college that is, to my knowledge, owned and operated by the county's department of education. One day, the student organization was hosting a barbecue. Student elections were coming up, and a friend of mine was running. I saw him at the barbecue distributing his "vote for me" cards. A barbecue worker reminded him "this is an (college initials withheld) event".</p>

<p>Suppose I were to volunteer to distribute these cards in exchange for nothing. Could the college go after me for distributing these fliers during the barbecue?
Also, can the college actually do anything to my friend for distributing, or causing to be distributed, such cards during the event? </p>

<p>Almost no constitutional right, for the most part, applies or gives rise to an all-encompassing right at all times. Schools can determine that certain times are off limits as activity during those times may interrupt the environment most conducive to learning, or for other articulable reasons; this is fine so long as it is applied evenly. Schools may say you may not hand out literature at certain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_in_the_United_States#Time.2C_place.2C_and_manner_restrictions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">times, only before or after classes, weekends, or put limits on the place or manner of distribution</a>.</p>
<p>There are examples of this premise that exist, pertaining to  nearly every right, otherwise considered absolute. This is no different than the principle that while Americans enjoy the right to free speech, not all speech is protected at all times, or that the right to bear arms does not apply to all people, places, or environs.</p>

<p>At first blush, this seems like a first amendment issue.</p>

<p>However, the first amendment applies to and constricts public bodies.</p>

<p>Private organizations AFAIK can prohibit by policy behavior they consider disruptive or inappropriate.</p>

<p>I think the answer to your question will lie in whatever college policies govern the barbecue activities. You should ask the worker to point you to the policies prohibiting the distribution of flyers and take it from there.</p>

us-constitution