Syracuse University Blocks Public From Sean Spicer Lecture, While All Are Welcome to Liberal Programs

Administrators at Syracuse University have made the apparently-subjective decision to limit attendance for an upcoming YAF lecture featuring Sean Spicer. Despite repeated attempts by conservative students to allow the general public to attend their March 26 event with the bestselling author and 28th White House Press Secretary, administrators refuse to allow other young people and members of the surrounding community to attend.

As we at YAF find in most cases, this is yet another instance of selectively applied restrictions aimed at limiting the reach and impact of conservative ideas. A cursory search of other events taking place at Syracuse University reveals many liberal organizations and speakers with events open to all: 

• A lecture by Clinton administrator alumnus Matt Bennett addressing “why moderates hold the keys to beating Trump.”
• A lecture by author Jelani Cobb, whose work includes a book titled The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress. 
• Students of Sustainability’s panel discussion addressing “a climate crisis” they say is “coming for Syracuse and Central New York.”
• Another student organization’s event with Carlos “Taso” Zenón, a man known for planning and executing acts of civil disobedience to disrupt U.S. Navy training in Puerto Rico.
• The Syracuse University Pride Union’s 18th Annual Drag Show Preliminaries earlier this month.
• Regular religious services hosted by the Syracuse Muslim Students’ Association.

Syracuse’s hypocrisy in choosing which events can and cannot be open to the public is blatantly obvious–they fear the potential reach conservative ideas may have in the liberal echo chamber of their college campus.

UPDATE: Following YAF’s exposure of this double standard, Syracuse University has decided to allow the public to attend Spicer’s lecture.