Young America’s Foundation will hold the University of Connecticut administration accountable if any impediments to free speech are placed on the upcoming Ben Shapiro lecture scheduled for January 24 as part of YAF’s Fred Allen Lecture Series.
In quotes that smack of typical liberal double-speak, officials at the University of Connecticut claim to wholeheartedly support the First Amendment rights of Ben Shapiro and the conservative students hosting him, then introduce the possibility of limiting who may attend or where the lecture may be held, citing safety concerns.
”If UConn is serious about upholding free speech and ensuring student safety, the answer is not to restrict or censor conservatives. Rather, UConn needs to enforce the rule of law on its campus and prevent riotous agitators or law-breaking vandals from being allowed to silence or stifle conservative speech,” said YAF Spokesman Spencer Brown.
UConn can prove its commitment to the free and open exchange of ideas by protecting the First Amendment exercise of conservative students, allowing the public to attend the lecture as is common practice at UConn, and holding accountable any agitators who seek to suppress Shapiro or the students’ constitutional rights.
Young America’s Foundation is watching closely, as are UConn’s student body, alumni network, and larger campus community. UConn must do the right thing—what the Constitution requires—and allow Ben Shapiro to speak unimpeded.
As the principal outreach organization of the Conservative Movement, YAF continues to hold schools nationwide accountable when they attempt to muzzle conservative students—such as the Foundation’s ongoing lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley—and is the exclusive campus lecture partner for Ben Shapiro’s 2018-2019 tour.
For further information or to cover this story contact Spencer Brown by email at [email protected]
