In the case of Board of Regents of the University of Texas System v. New Left Education Project et al., 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a university's refusal to allow an outside organization to use its facilities for political purposes did not violate First Amendment rights. The court found that while public universities are generally considered public forums where free speech is protected, they also have a legitimate interest in maintaining control over their property and resources. Therefore, it was permissible for them to establish reasonable regulations regarding who can access those resources and how they can be used. The New Left Education Project had sought permission from the University of Texas at Austin to hold meetings on campus but were denied because they were not sponsored by a student or faculty group as required by university policy. They sued claiming this violated their freedom of speech and assembly rights under the First Amendment. However, Justice Thurgood Marshall writing for majority held that there was no constitutional violation since these restrictions were content-neutral (not based on what might be said) and served significant government interests - namely preserving educational environment from potential disruptions.

In the dissenting opinion for the case of Board of Regents of The University Of Texas System v. New Left Education Project et al., Justice William O. Douglas argued that the majority's decision was a violation of First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly, as well as Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection under law. He contended that public universities should not be allowed to discriminate against certain groups or ideas simply because they are controversial or unpopular. Furthermore, he believed that students have a right to hear diverse viewpoints in order to develop their own informed opinions on important issues. In his view, suppressing these voices only serves to stifle intellectual growth and undermine democratic values.