Court Considers Fourth Amendment Stripper; Students Sue Over “Fighting Sioux” Logo, Nickname

Making the grade. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is instituting much stricter academic standards for student athletes, though they will not decide when the new policy will take effect until October. According to the new Academic Progress Rate, each athlete will earn one point per semester by staying academically eligible and another point for staying enrolled. If a team's score slips too low, they will risk penalties including the loss of scholarships or a postseason ban. [Detroit Free Press]

Sioux sue? A group of Native American students have filed a lawsuit against the University of North Dakota over the school's "Fighting Sioux" nickname. The complaint alleges that a law passed by the North Dakota legislature which mandates the use of the nickname and logo was the responsibility of the Board of Higher Education, in accordance with the state constitution. The complaint says the students, who are Native American, felt singled out by the racially charged mascot. [The Bismarck Tribune]

Pole position? A judge will decide in two weeks whether to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Aaron Tobey, a senior at the University of Cincinnati who stripped down to running shorts at Richmond International Airport to protest Transportation Security Administration policies which he believed to be in violation of the Fourth Amendment - which he wrote on his chest in marker. He was eventually allowed to board his flight. In the lawsuit, Tobey alleges false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and constitutional amendments. [International Business Times]

Climategate. The American Association of University Professors wrote a letter to University of Virginia president Teresa Sullivan urging her not to release e-mail and other documents from climate scientists. The conservative organization American Tradition Institute had previously filed an open-records request seeking the documents, arguing access was needed to verify the "ethical standards" of climate researchers. "The university should seek to improve the agreement to better protect scientists from harassment and intimidation," the letter says. "Moving forward with the agreement as it stands will send scientists at public institutions a message that communicating frankly with colleagues carries significant risk." [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Jon Christian is a reporter with Campus Progress. Follow him on Twitter @Jon_Christian.

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