Richard Spencer's supporters sue universities for not allowing speeches

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Richard Spencer's supporters sue universities for not allowing speeches

Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State deny Spencer, citing public safety concerns, but backers argue this is discrimination based on the content of speech

Lois Beckett
Monday 23 October 2017 15.08 BST

Supporters of Richard Spencer are suing public universities in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, seeking to force the schools to allow him to speak on campus – and to provide security to allow the far-right provocateur to “speak safely”.

The latest lawsuit, against Ohio State University, was filed on Sunday, days after police in Florida announced attempted homicide charges against three men who shouted “Hail Hitler!” and fired a gun at protesters after Spencer spoke at the University of Florida.

Security for the speech in Gainesville on Thursday, which drew more than 2,500 protesters, cost at least $600,000, the university’s president said.

Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State have announced they will not allow Spencer to rent a campus venue, citing public safety concerns and serious disruption to school communities.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/23/richard-spencers-supporters-sue-universities-for-not-allowing-speeches

[Thomas Hurt]

1. should probably argue that they are under no duty to allow terrorists to speak

[NightWatcher]

2. Make him put up a million bucks for each venue they want to speak at

If they can afford it, publicize who's paying for it. Allow protestors to shout him down as in Gainesville. His fascist donors will get tired of paying a million bucks to be shouted down and leave after ten minutes.

[Initech]

3. I like this idea!

[RKP5637]

5. Excellent! n/t

[Orrex]

4. I just found my ticket to vast wealth!

If this ignorant shitnugget can sue universities that don't want to put up with his crap, why can't I sue them just as readily for refusing to book me as a speaker?

I don't even have a lameass hair cut like Punchingbag Spencer is sporting, and security concerns would be minimal.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Right, like the Westboro church making a good living suing people

who don't want them in their town.

I had the same thoughts about Spencer, et al.
A racket.

[Runningdawg]

11. Exactly

Westboro is the first thing I thought of.

[Ms. Toad]

12. You'd need to have a student org (class, faculty, etc.) invite you

and have the university refuse to permit the event to go forward.

There isn't a blanket right to appear as a speaker.

[guillaumeb]

6. Perhaps they could require that event insurance be purchased?

Or ask for reimbursement from the taxpayers to cover the costs.

[Tobin S.]

7. The argument for letting him speak previously on other campuses was that there was no evidence

that he was promoting, advocating, or trying to incite violence with his speech. That was the logic of a judge in Alabama. It seems to me that anyone who expresses solidarity with Nazis is promoting, advocating, or trying to incite violence. That's a part of the historical definition of being a Nazi. That's just what they do.

Well, it appears that he did just that a few days ago in Florida. We'll see what the judges' reasoning is now to allow this sort of thing to go on. Hopefully, none of them will.

[muntrv]

8. Argue the same reason they don't allow Al-Qaeda to speak on campus.

[gratuitous]

10. We'll let you in if you're housebroken

But the universities are under no obligation to let animals in who are just going to shit all over the floor.