5 times universities stood their ground against woke protests in 2022
Though campus protests often turn violent, many times little to no action is taken against the rioters. But there are exceptions. Here are five campus protests where the university remained steadfast.
Though campus protests often turn violent, many times little to no action is taken against the rioters. But there are exceptions. Here are five campus protests where the university remained steadfast.
Students rallied after Seattle Pacific University’s (SPU’s) board of trustees announced the school will not be changing its policy prohibiting employees from same-sex sexual activity, extramarital sexual activity, and cohabitating before marriage.
When the state issued an investigation of SPU’s hiring practices, the university filed a First Amendment lawsuit and refused to change its practice.
Lori Windham, the attorney representing SPU, told Campus Reform that “external officials cannot dictate how religious institutions live out their faith commitments. Our laws protect religious universities from unlawful demands by governmental officials,” she said.
2. Cornell commits to punishing students who disrupted Ann Coulter’s speech
During an event on Nov. 9, students took turns interrupting Coulter’s speech with circus music, fart noises, and loud rants. Cornell University President Martha Pollack promised that students who shut down Ann Coulter’s speech would face consequences.
“It’s something I think we need to continue to discuss as a community,” said Pollack. “I think it’s going to take community pressure. I think it’s going to take a real lot of talking about why we have to have free speech.”
3. University disciplines students who stormed freshman convocation
Students at Marquette University (MU) stormed a freshman convocation event in August to protest lack of diversity resources on campus.
Video of the protest, obtained by Campus Reform, shows students standing on the convocation stage chanting ‘shut it down’ while holding signs that read ‘we are not a token,’ ‘uplift students of color,’ and ‘we have a voice too.’
The university reportedly issued sanctions against the student protestors.
4. VIDEO: Professor tells Yale Law students to ‘grow up’ as they disrupt free speech event
In a video obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, over 100 student protesters were shown brandished signs and shouted obscenities during Alliance Defending Freedom’s Kristen Waggnoer’s free speech event.
Kate Stith, a professor helping with the event, told the professors to “grow up,” and later told the students that if the noise continued, she would “have to ask [them] to leave, or help [them] leave.”
Stith told Campus Reform that she stands by her assertion made to the students.
5. State police help university detain three protestors outside of Turning Point USA event
The University of New Mexico (UNM) recently detained three people, including one student, who protested a Charlie Kirk lecture.
New Mexico State Police arrived in “riot gear” to detain the protestors, according to a report from KOB 4 News. If charged, this misdemeanor comes with “a $500 fine and/or less than 6 months in jail.”
UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer told Campus Reform that the university ‘is committed to the principles of free speech and values its role as a public square for debate.’
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