Posted on 08/03/2019 4:30:20 AM PDT by Kaslin
University of Florida’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter settled in court earlier this week, after suing their university for speech censorship and funding bias.
The student group alleges the university imposed criteria that disproportionately impacted those looking to bring conservative speakers to campus.
The crux of the suit revolved around money collected from mandatory student fees, which are dispersed to student groups via the student government. In its 45-page legal complaint, YAF said the student government failed to distribute funds to student organizations in a fair, viewpoint-neutral manner.
Now with the suit settled, UF will change its policy in addition to paying $66,000 in damages.
The old policy “unfairly taxed conservative students to underwrite the expression of leftist speakers on campus,” YAF spokesperson Spencer Brown explained.
The updated policy will require that the student government approve funding requests by student organizations when a set of viewpoint-neutral criteria are met.
YAF students had earlier wished to bring Andrew Klavan and Dana Loesch to the Gainesville campus but were denied funding. With this lawsuit settlement, the chapter plans to bring multiple “leading conservative speakers on campus,” according to former UF YAF chairman Sarah Long.
The students were represented by Alliance Defending Freedom.
“Thankfully, in response to this lawsuit, the University of Florida recognized the errors embedded within its policies by adopting changes that no longer force YAF members to pay into a system that funds opposing viewpoints and discriminates against their own,” said ADF legal counsel Caleb Dalton.
Damn shame these kids have to go through the courts to do things the lefties are encouraged to do.
Nice to see a win.
The discrimination must have been blatant for the university to settle out of court.
I’m glad my Alma Mater took it in the shorts on this.
Go Gators!
Good win but now be ready to do battle with the lunatic left, marxist storm troopers who will try to disrupt any gathering.
It’s my beloved alma mater but like most universities the faculty and administration leans Left to the point of being idiotic.
For example, years ago when JEB Bush was governor of Florida the faculty prevented some meaningless honor being conferred on him as is customarily bestowed on every governor because he was GASP! A Republican!
Not a smart move to go miles out of your way to snub the Governor when the state controls your funding. That’s just how stupid the faculty/administration can be. It’s the same at most universities.
The university will have to provide security to ensure conservative speakers get to speak. They have no choice in the matter. Florida has a free speech on campus law (as most Southern states have adopted). There will be no klantifa crap in Florida. We’re not having it. Florida is not the Left Coast.
The riots may draw attention to the conservative speaker and his or her ideas. They may contribute to the growing Walk Away movement.
Nail on the head ping!
It’s good to see that Young Americans for Freedom is back. I was a member of YAF in the 1970’s and early ‘80’s. But it was always plagued by factional infighting and corruption, so I left it as did many other young conservatives.
That sets a couple of important legal precedents.
Conservatives should follow up with a class action lawsuit against every major university in America.
I can share the stats for the fees.
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