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Colleges Are Rejecting Applicants Who Follow Controversial People On Twitter
Shear on Social Media Law, Life, & Tech ^ | 8/7/18 | Bradley Shear

Posted on 08/09/2018 12:50:41 PM PDT by markomalley

While major Internet platforms are busy silencing Alex Jones of Infowars.com, prestigious colleges are rejecting applicants who connect on social media with him and others with opinions not considered mainstream. We are not talking about applicants who are retweeting alleged hate speech,  alleged “Fake News”, or alleged hoaxes. We are talking about just following a Twitter feed of someone whose views are frowned upon by members of an admissions committee.

While one of my legal clients (a 17 year old teen) was being interviewed by one of the most competitive colleges in the country he was asked why he was following Alex Jones on Twitter. My client, a teenager expected to talk about his stellar grades, top test scores, amazing extracurricular activities and volunteer work, but the interviewer focused on who he was connecting with online. My client had never “liked” or re-tweeted any of Mr. Jones’ content. His alleged “transgression” was that he followed Mr. Jones on Twitter. That was it.

Subsequently, the student’s parents engaged me about this troubling situation. Immediately, I performed a digital background check on the admissions interviewer and found her to be a Bernie Sanders follower. Interestingly, Mr. Jones’ is not a big fan of Mr. Sanders.  To each his own; however, political discrimination has no place during the college admissions process and I told the college’s admissions director that the situation must be properly resolved immediately. The college didn’t want any negative publicity about this matter so it quickly resolved the situation to my client’s satisfaction.

This example demonstrates why teens need to not just audit their digital profiles and lock down their social media accounts during the college application process, they must also ensure that their web surfing history is not collected by an admissions committee because innocent digital activity is being used to reject students from their dream colleges. A teen’s web search history may include topics such as politics, religion, health status, creed, etc. According to The New York Times, some colleges are trying to buy these data points from the organizations that provide the SAT or ACT who obtain this data directly from student test takers.

This data collection and usage is an entirely new level of social engineering that is trying to change society. For the past few years, colleges have been admitting students who are intolerant of free speech and political views they don’t share.  According to The Washington Post, incoming college students are more hostile to free speech than they have been during the past 50 years. The survey that the Washington Post cites demonstrates how college admissions officials are silently shaping society based upon whom they admit.

While I am not a listener or supporter of Mr. Jones’ (I was a couple of blocks away from the World Trade Center in NYC on 9/11 and heard the first plane hit the Twin Towers and saw the second plane deliberately crash into the Towers so I can say with certainty it wasn’t a False Flag event as Mr. Jones has claimed), his audience has every right to watch his videos and listen to him and connect with him online since we live in a free country. Unfortunately, some college admissions officials believe that applicants who connect with him online regardless of whether they believe Mr. Jones’ theories should not be provided an opportunity to attend the country’s most prestigious higher education institutions.

Many college admissions offices such as Harvard are encouraging anyone who has “digital dirt” on an applicant or accepted student to send it to the admissions department so they can reject an applicant or revoke an offer. This happens regularly and finally made international headlines last year when Harvard revoked offers to at least 10 applicants based up their digital footprint. What is more troubling is that Harvard has lobbied for years against a social media privacy law for applicants that would ban colleges in Massachusetts from being able to request applicants verify their digital accounts and activities which may indicate their political or personal opinions.

Harvard along with other prestigious colleges have a long documented history discriminating against students based on religion and other personal attributes. A recent lawsuit is claiming Harvard for years has discriminated against Asians. The evidence so far demonstrates the troubling ways Harvard uses personal non-academic information to reject applicants.

The bottom line is that if a college applicant visits websites that discuss hot button political issues such as the president, or far left or far right lawmakers, the First Amendment or Second Amendment rights, abortion, affirmative action, gay marriage, immigration, etc. its highly possible they may be denied admission to the most prestigious colleges in the United States. Why? Because an increasing number of college admissions officials are going to great lengths to collect their applicant’s personal political opinions.

This is not an isolated incident. I have dealt with multiple similar social media matters that focus on President Donald Trump’s opinions and actions along with those of other prominent voices (e.g. those considered very conservative or very liberal) whose opinions about hot button issues of public concern may not be shared by a majority of the population (e.g. members of an admissions committee).

(remainder snipped)


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Education; Society
KEYWORDS: liberalfascism
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1 posted on 08/09/2018 12:50:41 PM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

If they can prove it, this’d be a civil rights violation yes? Freedom of association. Colleges that receive public money have to act constitutionally unlike a private school or club.


2 posted on 08/09/2018 12:55:27 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: markomalley

As I understand it, if you’re studying social work, education or any field like that you are required to take an oath for social justice and equal rights of all kinds. I heard this about 20 years ago when I was looking at getting a masters degree in vocational rehabilitation. Anyone ever hear of this?


3 posted on 08/09/2018 12:57:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: markomalley

Like it or not the intransigence and compativeness of the Left are driving American society apart. It cannot hold. They can’t tolorate losing.


4 posted on 08/09/2018 12:57:44 PM PDT by TalBlack (It's hard to shoot people when they are shooting back at you...)
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To: fruser1

This practice should not be legal. It is Orwellian!


5 posted on 08/09/2018 12:59:33 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: TalBlack

...combativeness...


6 posted on 08/09/2018 12:59:34 PM PDT by TalBlack (It's hard to shoot people when they are shooting back at you...)
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To: fruser1

U.S Colleges - institutions of higher learning, or indoctrination factories? I lean toward the latter.


7 posted on 08/09/2018 1:00:10 PM PDT by milford421
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To: All

You will conform to the will of The State or The State will crush you.


8 posted on 08/09/2018 1:01:47 PM PDT by Architect of Avalon
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To: All

WRT shutting out conservatives....here’s something you can do right now. ACTION NOW——THEY NEED TO GET THOUSANDS OF LETTERS INFORMING THEM YOU ARE COMMISSIONING AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF THE SCHOOL’S FINANCES AND HANDLING OF PUBLIC MONIES.... .for the following reasons:

According to the Association of CPA’s, an audit is a systematic and independent examination of books, accounts, statutory records, documents and vouchers of an organization (non-profit or publicly-held) to ascertain authenticity of financial statements as well as non-financial disclosures and to codify that the account presents a true and fair view of the issues at hand.

An audit also attempts to ensure that the account is properly maintained as required by federal and state law. The auditor perceives and recognises the issues, and conducts a examination, obtains evidence, evaluates the same, and formulates an opinion on the basis of informed judgement which is communicated through an audit report.

Issues such as colleges receiving federal and state tax dollars, applying for public monies, disposition of public monies, billing procedures, and the detailed reporting of these issues. This includes the federal government, state government, the SEC, Banking oversight agencies, ERISA, insurance and other liability companies.

Areas commonly audited include: compliance audits, internal controls, quality management, project management, and collection and disposition of public monies. As a result of an audit, principles and stake-holders may effectively evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, for the edification of the relevant federal and state governance agencies and taxpayers with a financial stake in the subject matter.

Financial audits are commonly performed to ascertain the validity and reliability of information, as well as to provide an assessment of a system’s internal control. As a result of this, each party can have an accounting given on financial statements based on on the audit evidence obtained.

Due to constraints and limitations that might be placed on the auditor, an audit seeks to provide reasonable assurance that the statements are free from material error. In the case of financial audits, a set of financial statements are said to be true and fair when they are free of material misstatements – a concept influenced by both quantitative (numerical) and qualitative factors.

Copies of the audit are to be provided to federal and state governments, taxpayers, including legal oversight agencies, liability companies and oversight agencies, and officials of the state and federal government deemed stakeholders in the resultant financial accounting.


9 posted on 08/09/2018 1:05:14 PM PDT by Liz ( Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
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To: All
It is entirely possible that a school's federal offenses may include, but not be limited to:

<><> Title 18 U.S.C. §1341, Mail Fraud, 18 U.S.C.§1001, Presenting a False Document to an Agent of the US Government for funding (may involve several felonies and could include forgery);

<><> 18 U.S.C.§1027 False statements and concealment of facts in relation to documents required by ERISA enacted 1974 and other possible offenses including civil and/or criminal RICO violations.

<><> 18 U.S.C. §§1961-68 (RICO Act)18 U.S.C. §1001 (making false Statements to Agents of the US Government,

<><> 18 U.S.C. §241(Conspiracies Against Civil Rights). Violation of Civil Rights under Color of law and conspiracy. Conspiring with others to violate 4th amendment rights.

<><> Possibly full investigations centering on RICO conspiracies under 18 U.S.C. §1962(c) could be warranted because (1) the persons (2) were employed by or associated with a public enterprise (3) that engaged in or affected interstate commerce and that (4) the persons operated or managed the enterprise (5) through a “pattern” (6) of racketeering activity, and (7) the taxpayers were injured by reason of the “pattern” of racketeering activity.

<><> Alleged Offenses could include Violation of Rights – which prohibits in relevant part, “two or more persons (from conspiring) to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District

<><> Title 18 U.S.C. §2 41 – Conspiracy Against Constitutional mandates in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of having so exercised the same . . .” See, 18 U.S.C. §241.

Taxpayers should demand the following agencies commence investigations at once:
<><> FBI — Wire Fraud Division
<><> IRS-Fraud Unit
<><> Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General,
<><> Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General.
<><> DOJ’s Criminal Division— Public Integrity Section
<><> DOJ Criminal Division—Organized Crime and Gang Section.

10 posted on 08/09/2018 1:08:17 PM PDT by Liz ( Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
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To: markomalley
Subsequently, the student’s parents engaged me about this troubling situation. Immediately, I performed a digital background check on the admissions interviewer and found her to be a Bernie Sanders follower.

Quite a contradiction. Parents and students know that a certain school is staffed by far-left SJWs, but are nonetheless ready to sue to be allowed to enter.

higher education - another important societal institution that that political left has by the balls.

Waiting for someone (anyone!) to take on this issue. End the gray-train of massive Federal and personal debt that feeds the biggest cost-bubble America has - the cost of a university education and which supports leftist parasites. Point out the obscenity of institutions with $ Billions in tax-free endowments (ie. hedge funds). Use their out-of-touch elitist administrators as political punching bags.

The Dems scream for free tuition for all. What do conservatives do? They whine about unfairness.

11 posted on 08/09/2018 1:09:18 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: fruser1
"If they can prove it, this’d be a civil rights violation yes?"

The article didn't even provide evidence of it.

12 posted on 08/09/2018 1:09:42 PM PDT by mlo
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To: markomalley

What exactly is in one’s digital profile and digital background check?

Who can get those about you?

Who all uses them?


13 posted on 08/09/2018 1:11:13 PM PDT by polymuser (Its terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged today. - Chesterto)
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To: markomalley

The Campus Free Speech Preservation Act of 2018

Any institution of higher learning which shall be deemed by the Secretary of Education to have infringed upon the First Amendment rights of ANY student shall be ineligible to receive ANY Federal funds.


14 posted on 08/09/2018 1:13:42 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Anti-Bubba182

“It is Orwellian!”

All of our lives are becoming Orwellian.

.


15 posted on 08/09/2018 1:14:25 PM PDT by Mears
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To: polymuser
Who can get those about you?

Anyone. It's available for purchase from the majority of businesses.

Who all uses them?

All major businesses. We pay aggregators or do it ourselves from distinct sources.
16 posted on 08/09/2018 1:17:09 PM PDT by TexasGunLover
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To: fruser1

Would they reject ME, for posting THIS:

ACHTUNG: It is worth noting that Fakebook CENSORS any mention of a website, www.CodeIsFreeSpeech.com that provides FREE downloads of 3D-printable firearm blueprints. And, since Facebook logins are so prevalent for posting commentary across the Internet, they are very effectively suppressing this “Forbidden knowledge”. Please go to the website, download some or all 10 of the free blueprints, and then, repost it to your friends and across the Internet, to the extent you can. Strike a BLOW against Fakebook and judicial CENSORSHIP! Support TWO amendments at once, the First and the Second!


17 posted on 08/09/2018 1:19:25 PM PDT by 2harddrive (Go to www.CodeIsFreeSpeech.com for 10 FREE 3D-printer gun blueprints!)
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To: markomalley

Well, if it can be proven, all students who were denied on this basis should receive a nice sum of money. Enough to go a non liberal college 10 times over.

Seriously though; the education at liberal colleges isn’t worth a dime let alone hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Liberal colleges are nothing more than indoctrination centers now.

Alternatives are out there. I hope they are utilized.


18 posted on 08/09/2018 1:20:27 PM PDT by Boomer (Leftism is the Mental/Moral Equivalent of End Stage Cancer)
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To: markomalley

Some more subjective BS: do they even list ALL those sites listed as ‘controversial’....do they define ‘controversial’?!


19 posted on 08/09/2018 1:26:40 PM PDT by cranked
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To: markomalley

But I’m told that all will be smooth sailing for conservatives if they just invest ina new site. Of course membership in that site could be grounds for blacklisting in job hiring and renting a room or finding customers for your products...


20 posted on 08/09/2018 1:37:59 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
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