Tennessee State University banned popular gossip Web site JuicyCampus from the university’s network Nov. 12.

According to the school’s student newspaper The Meter, the ban was implemented by the university’s student government in conjunction with its administration. It comes in response to several complaints from students and parents. While students can still get to the site through cell phones and PDAs, access has been heavily reduced.

“TSU’s decision seems to violate its students’ First Amendment rights,” said JuicyCampus founder Matt Ivester in a press release, and hinted at the possibility of legal action.

In response, the administration said that it was completely within its rights to ban the website.
Tennessee State was added to JuicyCampus Sept. 2. By the time of its banning, the site had gained massive popularity. The day before access was restricted, Tennessee State was the most-searched school on JuicyCampus.

“JuicyCampus believes that the answer to bad speech is good speech, not censorship. … Everyone has an equal voice on JuicyCampus,” said Ivester.