The University of Florida denied Richard Spencer’s request to occupy event space on Sept. 12, a speech that would have taken place shortly after the white nationalist was scheduled to speak at Texas A&M University. Like Texas A&M, UF cited organizers’ rhetorical…
The University of Florida denied Richard Spencer’s request to occupy event space on Sept. 12, a speech that would have taken place shortly after the white nationalist was scheduled to speak at Texas A&M University.
Like Texas A&M, UF cited organizers’ rhetorical links between deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., and the upcoming events on its campus from organizers as cause for safety concerns on campus.
« The First Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others, » president W. Kent Fuchs said in a statement Wednesday.
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Will Creeley, senior vice president for legal and public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, called the « Today Charlottesville, Tomorrow Texas A&M » language in the release protected speech. A specific threat should be required to cancel an event, he said.
Creeley said transparency is key from university law enforcement in these situations.
« Canceling speech because of safety concerns is powerful medicine and should be as transparently deployed as possible, » he said.
A priority for universities, however, is to allow for normal operations like class to proceed, he said. Disruption through protests or unexpected crowds on campus could limit that ability.
« Keeping roads and sidewalks free for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, maintaining public safety, and keeping the university open and operating for students, faculty, and staff are significant governmental interests, » Creeley wrote in an email, adding that campus speech regulations must serve those interests.
Announcements of Spencer’s speeches at Texas A&M and UF came amid a weekend of violence in Charlottesville.
Fuchs had previously alerted students and faculty that Spencer planned to speak. In a letter, Fuchs explained why he would be allowed to speak and urged members of the campus community to ignore the event.
« These types of groups want media attention, » he wrote. « I encourage our campus community to send a message of unity by not engaging with this group and giving them more media attention for their message of intolerance and hate. »
