A president of a public university in Kansas sent a school-wide email condemning an upcoming Young America’s Foundation campus lecture featuring Michael Knowles, claiming he was “disappointed” that First Amendment rights are being used to make students feel “unsafe” on campus.
Jerry Farley, the president of Washburn University who signed the contract and approved the event, issued the condemnation late Tuesday ahead of YAF’s event on Thursday featuring the Daily Wire personality. Leftists are planning to protest the event in a “solidarity and support demonstration”––organized primarily by “Washburn Queers and Allies.”
“A Washburn student organization has invited a speaker to campus who has a history of inciting fear and distrust,” Farley wrote. “While I am strongly in the support of first amendment rights, I am disappointed when those rights are used to make others feel unwelcome and even unsafe in our community.” Farley did not cite any examples of Knowles “inciting fear and distrust.”
He went on to state that the school “does not condone the hate and misinformation spread by the speaker and his supporters.” It’s not clear if Farley has ever sent a similar email rebuking a liberal speaker on campus (although, it’s doubtful).
Washburn University did not immediately respond to YAF’s request for comment.
It’s obvious that Jerry Farley’s intent was to chill conservative speech on campus by condemning it in a school-wide email. Every conservative student has now been “marginalized” by Farley’s disgusting email. Intimidation of conservative students by tyrannical administrators should not be tolerated on any campus, let alone a public university that alleges to protect First Amendment rights. Much to Farley’s dismay, tomorrow’s event will go on as planned––and conservative students will not bend a knee to Washburn’s woke agenda.
Click here for information on how to attend tomorrow’s event. The event will be streamed on YAF’s YouTube channel.
