{"id":129428,"date":"2023-06-19T00:02:06","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T04:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=129428"},"modified":"2023-06-18T23:19:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T03:19:11","slug":"pitt-must-drop-security-fee-demand-for-michael-knowles-event-attorneys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/pitt-must-drop-security-fee-demand-for-michael-knowles-event-attorneys\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitt must drop ‘security’ fee demand for Michael Knowles event: attorneys"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘The university\u2019s attempt to charge College Republicans and Intercollegiate Studies Institute over $18,000 for security that they are obligated to provide is entirely unconstitutional,’ attorney says<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The University of Pittsburgh should rescind its demand for $18,000 in security fees for an event between conservative Michael Knowles and libertarian Brad Polumbo about transgenderism, according to a letter<\/a> from the Alliance Defending Freedom.<\/p>\n

The letter from the Christian legal nonprofit demands that Pitt drop its request that the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and the campus College Republicans cough up $18,734 for security fees.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the letter accused Pitt officials of being partially responsible for the disruptions at the event. “On March 16, Provost Ann Cudd referred to a recent speech by Knowles as ‘repugnant’ and ‘hate-filled rhetoric’ in a message she sent the Pitt Community,” ADF wrote in its accompanying news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ADF wrote in the letter:<\/p>\n

Here, the University has violated the First Amendment rights of ISI and College Republicans in three distinct ways: by imposing an unconstitutional security fee; by inciting students to disrupt the April 18 Event; and by failing to provide adequate security for the Event and instead deciding to shut it down before it even concluded.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe university\u2019s attempt to charge College Republicans and Intercollegiate Studies Institute over $18,000 for security that they are obligated to provide is entirely unconstitutional,\u201d Phil Sechler, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Fix<\/em> via a statement. \u201cThat\u2019s not free speech \u2013 that\u2019s incredibly expensive speech, and we hope the university recognizes that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also want the University to reimburse the students for the other costs of the event, including the speaker fees, since the University\u2019s own incitement of violence and failure to control the crowd caused it to be shut down before it finished,\u201d Sechler told The Fix<\/em>.<\/p>\n

ADF told The Fix<\/em> in a separate statement on June 14 the school asked for two more weeks to respond. The original deadline was June 12.<\/p>\n