The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled this week that Northwestern must allow its football players to express themselves freely on the internet and with the media. While making no decision on the right of players to unionize, the ruling calls the players “employees” and applies to football programs at 17 private universities including Notre Dame, Syracuse, Baylor and Stanford. The NLRB ruled unlawful a practice in which Northwestern coaches and even university police monitored players’ social media postings. (ESPN, October 11, 2016, by Lester Munson)
During the deliberations over the policy Northwestern agreed to change its unlawful rule, and now the policy asks the players to forego posting ”full or partial nudity (of yourself or another), sex, racial or sexual epithets, underage drinking, drugs, weapons or firearms, hazing, harassment, or unlawful activity.” (The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 11, 2016, by Katherine Knott)