By: Haylee Fishburn
Saint Louis University has denied recognition to a Young Americans for Freedom chapter on campus, as student government officials allowed their personal biases to intervene in the approval process, according to emails obtained exclusively by Young America’s Foundation.
Elizabeth Potterf, Vice President for Student Organizations, told organizers in an email that the committee “…found it hard to separate your group from the national organization that has published unprofessional articles about SLU students and administrators that increased tensions on campus.”
Potterf added that the committee thinks SLU YAF does not meet “the requirement to fulfill a niche on campus.”
SLU’s student government would also not reveal who made the decision and kept the vote to deny SLU YAF’s recognition anonymous.
After being denied by the student government, the chapter tried to establish standing by requesting sponsorship from the Political Science department on campus.
Professor and Interim Chair Wynne Moskop stated in an email to Baker that “…Political Science faculty consider it problematic to endorse an organization that SGA will not approve,” adding that some faculty “expressed concerns about the inclusiveness of YAF at the current time.” Moskop did not specify the exact concerns of the faculty, but was likely a jab at YAF’s exposure of SLU’s attempts to block a Matt Walsh YAF event from happening on campus.
Administrators at SLU told members of YAF that they have no power to overturn student government decisions––doubtful at best.
SLU refused to comment to YAF on the actions of the student government.
“The denial of our request to form a YAF chapter is the cherry on top of these endless attempts to purge conservatism and Catholicism from campus, SLU YAF Vice Chairman Carter Fortman told YAF.
YAF has reported extensively on the ongoing bias against conservatives at SLU. In December of 2021, SLU nearly expelled a conservative student for hanging up posters advertising YAF’s upcoming Matt Walsh event. The university also punished the SLU College Republicans for posting a video asking, “What is a woman?”
In November, a radical leftist student was recorded screaming, “People hate you. You’re a disgusting misogynist, and Karma’s gonna f***ing get you. And you’ll see that when you f***ing die and hopefully you f***ing go to hell,” after a conservative group organized a pro-life memorial. The school refused to announce any consequences for the students who destroyed the approved display.
SLU’s radical actions against conservatives show very little tolerance or inclusion. They call for inclusivity but deny organizations recognition because they are the intolerant ones. The idea of having more conservative voices on campus scares the SLU student government and school administration. YAF at SLU will not be going anywhere and will continue the fight against this extreme left-wing campus.
Email SLU President Fred Pestello to voice your opinion about YAF being denied recognition on SLU’s campus: [email protected]
