So, college athletes are using the N-word, the F-word, and posting risqué pictures of themselves drinking alcohol and using drugs online.

That shouldn’t be a surprise to educators who work with college students. It shouldn’t be a surprise to the parents who raised these kids. And it’s certainly no surprise to college students themselves.

At Ohio State, female gymnasts have been ordered to clean up their Web profiles or risk being cut from meets.

According to Newhouse News Service, Louisiana State swimmers were kicked off the team after posting unflattering notes about their coaches online.

According to that same report, Loyola University of Chicago has outright banned its athletes from using Facebook.com, threatening them with losing their scholarships if they disobey.

Are college and universities campuses interfering with free speech? Forcing students to obey codes of conduct? Or just trying to protect their students?

All of the above.

A lot of young adults, people who have grown up posting their most personal thoughts online, do not hesitate to publish their phone numbers, their addresses, their sexual preferences, their likes and dislikes, and whatever else comes to mind on the Web. It’s risky business.

However, by stepping in to protect these students and force the appearance of good behavior, some colleges and universities have stepped over the line.

It is absolutely understandable for colleges to check these public sites to monitor whether athletes are violating their signed codes of conduct. Athletes make pledges to stay sober and maintain certain academic achievement standards to retain their scholarships. Colleges have a real interest in ensuring these students honor those pledges.

Colleges and universities should not limit the monitoring to athletes, though. They ought to be checking for underage drinking and crimes or potential crimes committed by all students, many of whom may be putting themselves at risk.

At Bates College, for example, the student code of conduct – imposed on every student – is designed to “express community standards of honesty, respect for persons and property, and responsible use of freedom.” It outlines violations of plagiarism, cheating, alcohol and drug use, disorderly conduct and property damage, among dozens of other things. Violations of any section of the code could result in a student’s dismissal. The code is not limited to athletes, which seems just.

Ensuring adherence to the code, though, can be done without trampling the First Amendment.

Posting profanity and expressing opinions about the faculty or coaching staff is protected speech. It may not reflect well on the college or university, but it’s protected, nonetheless. And, why should colleges care whether students post their sexual or other preferences online?

Colleges should hold all students – not just athletes – accountable for behavior, but students must be afforded their right to speak freely online and on campus, places that are supposed to be zones of shared ideas and exploration.