Gasp! Who'da thunk?

A Johns Hopkins University student who was suspended for a year for writing an invitation to a fraternity "Halloween in the Hood" party has had his punishment reduced after an appeal, according to a nonprofit free speech group that has been advocating on his behalf.

The student, Justin Park, posted the invitation on the Web site Facebook. The posting described Baltimore as an "HIV pit" and urged guests to wear "bling bling ice ice, grills" and "hoochie hoops." A skeleton pirate with dreadlocks hanging from a noose was used as decoration at the Sigma Chi fraternity party Oct. 28.

Now, there's little question that the guy was obnoxious and offensive.

But should schools really be in the business of punishing students for what they say or write off-campus, and in their personal lives? This wasn't illegal and didn't even allude to the (few) black students at JHU.

I mean, in the context of this event, Park is clearly an asshole. Good-hearted people don't say or do things like that. So are the fraternity brothers who colluded and the attendees who mocked black people. They all displayed, at best, really poor judgement and they deserve their criticism.

But since when does free speech apply only when someone's being nice and polite? And especially at a university, where free speech and though should be even less restrained than elsewhere?

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