Inviting an outside speaker for commencement is arguably choosing to honor them and give them a captive audience. Valedictorian earned it under established rules. Doesn't matter what she posted. It's a free speech issue. And barring her due to threats of violence makes it worse.
Inviting an outside speaker for commencement is arguably choosing to honor them and give them a captive audience. Valedictorian earned it under established rules. Doesn't matter what she posted. It's a free speech issue. And barring her due to threats of violence makes it worse.
The right response if you object to what the valedictorian posted online and might say in her graduation speech is counter speech. Post online about it, bring a sign—some students at my graduation floated a sign on balloons—walk out when she speaks, whatever. Don’t ban her.
@NGrossman81 Depends on what the speech is. Free speech protection doesn't extend to calls for violence. In any case,the university isn't the state, so they can have any speech rules they want.
@NGrossman81 If there was a credible threat then they've made the right decision, but if it's based solely on the speaker holding controversial views, then I'm with you.
@NGrossman81 No one should ever be punished for who they are. If she is being denied for saying hateful things that will incite, then it’s a judgment call to balance her rights against the potential for disruption for all. But I don’t think that’s the situation here.
@NGrossman81 What’s even more bizarre is that the person who selected her also cancelled the speech.