{"id":139267,"date":"2023-12-20T00:02:47","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T05:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=139267"},"modified":"2023-12-19T16:24:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T21:24:19","slug":"university-of-utah-threatens-yaf-group-for-not-following-unenforced-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/university-of-utah-threatens-yaf-group-for-not-following-unenforced-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Utah threatens YAF group for not following unenforced rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

School says YAF should have followed rules the day before they were in effect<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The University of Utah has threatened to dissolve its Young Americans for Freedom chapter for allegedly violating school rules with event flyers. But the posting rules were not in effect when the posters went up on billboards.<\/p>\n

The Mountain States Legal Foundation sent a letter\u00a0to the university’s general counsel office threatening<\/a> to sue the school if it continues to retaliate against the campus YAF chapter and infringe on its rights to freedom of speech and expression.<\/p>\n

The demand letter came after school officials alleged that YAF violated university rules by posting too many flyers on campus bulletin boards for an event it hosted with Chloe Cole, a female who previously had surgery to remove her breasts to look like a man.<\/p>\n

Cole (pictured<\/em>) now advocates against transgender drugs and surgeries.<\/p>\n

On the same day as YAF\u2019s event, the university changed its policy to allow only one flyer promoting a single event to be displayed per bulletin board, a rule that would not take effect until the next day, according to the national conservative group.<\/p>\n

A YAF spokesperson told The College Fix<\/em> that the university\u2019s office of the general counsel has yet to respond to its demand letter.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtecting free speech, particularly on college campuses, has never been more important,\u201d YAF\u2019s Director of Public Relations Michael McGonigle told The Fix<\/em> in an email. \u201cThe First Amendment guarantees an open exchange of ideas and ensures no one is without a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen this fundamental right is infringed, every American has a responsibility to defend it \u2013 just as YAF students at the University of Utah have done and will continue to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> There were 19 campus hate crime hoaxes in 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the help of organizations like Mountain States Legal Foundation, YAF will continue to hold those who violate the constitutional rights of our students accountable,\u201d McGonigle said.<\/p>\n

YAF also alleges the rules are applied unevenly – \u201cliberal student organizations including the LGBTQ Resource Center and the Vegan Club have been allowed to openly violate the policy for weeks without any repercussions,\u201d the national conservative student group wrote on its website.<\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> reached out to the University of Utah to ask if it planned on responding to the legal letter and if it was going to revoke the chapter\u2019s status as a registered student organization.<\/p>\n

Rebecca Walsh, the university\u2019s communications director, referred The Fix<\/em> to several links with information on the school\u2019s policies regarding free speech and campus flyers. She also included pictures of all the flyers YAF posted to advertise its event.<\/p>\n

Walsh did not directly answer any questions on whether or not the university would take further action against YAF.<\/p>\n

This was not YAF\u2019s first encounter with backlash from the university\u2019s administration. Less than a month prior to its event with Cole, YAF attempted to host a screening of a documentary starring Cole that was canceled by the university due to the disruption of the event by left-wing protestors.<\/p>\n

Additionally, while not naming YAF\u2019s flyers specifically, a university blog post<\/a> published the day after the cancellation of the screening referred to flyers that are \u201coffensive to identities, beliefs and cultures of other campus community members\u201d as \u201cobnoxious, divisive and simplistic.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> reached out to Jason Ramirez, associate vice president and dean of students, and Associate Dean Erica Andersen to ask how the YAF chapter was expected to comply with a day-of rule change and what their response was to claims that the school selectively enforced the rules.<\/p>\n

Neither faculty member responded to two different requests for comment sent in the past week.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand many technically legal postings can cause harm and divide our campus community,\u201d Ramirez stated in the university news release. \u201c[B]ut we believe the best response is more speech to combat and defend against those offensive ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> UW La Crosse drops mandatory ‘inclusivity statement’ after legal threat<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Young America’s Foundation\/YouTube<\/p>\n

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