A federal lawsuit filed by a Modesto Junior College (MJC) student against the school may be winding down as the two sides are agreeing on various settlement terms.

Robert Van Tuinen is suing MJC for suppressing his right to free speech when the school tried to stop him from handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, the anniversary of the document's signing. The school said Van Tuinen was not in the campus' "free speech zone" and therefore was not allowed to hand out literature.

After speaking with various school administrators, Van Tuinen filed a federal lawsuit. According to a press release from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), the school has decided to suspend enforcement of its free speech zone as it negotiates a settlement with the student.

"FIRE welcomes this development as a sign that Modesto Junior College is making important progress towards bringing its policies in line with the First Amendment," said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. "Today, Robert Van Tuinen and over 17,000 fellow students and faculty members may exercise their First Amendment rights without being confined to a free speech zone or required to register in advance."

A civil rights watchdog, FIRE has sided with Van Tuinen and aided him in fighting his case and spreading his story. On Sept. 17, or Constitution Day, earlier this year, an MJC campus police officer noticed Van Tuinen handing out fliers in front of the school student center.

Van Tuinen was apparently performing his own social experiment, because he was secretly recording the entire time. The officer repeatedly told him he did not have proper authorization to hand anything out on campus. Van Tuinen then met with administrators of the school who told him the same thing and that he needed permission first to hand out fliers, but he would be confined to the free speech zones.

Van Tuinen filed the civil rights lawsuit on Oct. 10 because the school had refused to change its policies.

Below: watch Van Tuinen's video and CLICK HERE to read FIRE's coverage of the matter.

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