A Radford sign ordinance infringes on free speech, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which also announced Monday that it will file suit against the city if the ordinance isn't repealed.

City Council approved its zoning ordinance -- part of which pertains to Radford University fraternities and sororities -- in May. The Greek-related section of the ordinance requires that fraternity and sorority signs must be located "in the UD university/business district or business district (generally five blocks east and west of the campus.)" The signs can't be any larger than 3-feet-by-5-feet, and they must also be approved by the university's Office of Student Affairs and the city's zoning administrator.

"This ordinance treats student speech differently from other speech," said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis in a Monday interview. "It is constitutional to reasonably regulate signs, we're not arguing that.  We're arguing the fact that structures in which students live are being treated differently than structures in which other people live."
 
Ultimately, Willis said the issue is about free speech.  "You can't give some degrees of free speech to some classes of people and other degrees of free speech to other classes of people.  All speech can be reasonably regulated in terms of time, place and manner but you can't treat people differently with laws and policies."

The ACLU faxed a letter to Radford City Attorney Jim Guynn on Friday to express concern, according to the release. Radford officials contacted today did not immediately offer comment on the matter.