The Brown Audience Board, a libertarian student journal, faced a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday due to alleged violations of Brown University’s policies regarding name use and branding.
According to a statement, Brown University has charged all members of the Board of Directors for not adhering to its “Name Use, Trademark and License Policy.”
Alex Sie, a sophomore at the university, had already stirred some controversy among school officials. He sent a somewhat humorous email to non-accounting staff asking them what they do all day, presumably trying to figure out why tuition has risen so steeply.
Following the hearing, Sie mentioned that the board is waiting for a decision in the upcoming weeks. Two board members met separately with Associate Dean Kirsten Wolf, who initiated the charges, to discuss the legitimacy of using the name “Brown.”
In a peculiar investigation, Sie had earlier created a database containing the names of 3,805 non-accounting employees at Brown, sending a message to ask, “What do you do all day?” He identified himself as a journalist for the Brown Audience Journal.
The publication, rejuvenated this past spring after a few years off, argues that other student publications, including the Brown Daily Herald, have used the name “Brown” without facing similar scrutiny.
In fact, Sie pointed out how many independent student papers utilize university names under what the law describes as “descriptive fair use,” indicating that they’re just identifying themselves as being affiliated with their respective institutions.
Interestingly, from the vast number of emails sent, only about 20 responses came back, many filled with profanity and criticism.
Sie expressed concerns over the proceedings, suggesting that the university’s approach seems to aim at silencing voices critical of the administration rather than genuine trademark issues.
Recently, Sie took to social media to share his frustrations and promote discussions about the situation, claiming that the targeting of their publication feels uniquely selective.
Attempts to reach Brown University for a comment didn’t yield immediate responses.
