Two Student Groups File Lawsuit Against UC Berkeley After School Cancels Ann Coulter Speech
After university officials cancelled聽a scheduled appearance from Ann Coulter on campus, two conservative student organizations filed a federal lawsuit accusing the University of California, Berkeley of efforts to 鈥渞estrict conservative speech鈥� on campus.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by the Berkeley College Republicans and the Young America鈥檚 Foundation, claims the university is trying 鈥渢o restrict and stifle the speech of conservative students whose voices fall beyond the campus political orthodoxy.鈥�
鈥淭hough UC Berkeley promises its students an聽environment that promotes free debate and the free exchange of ideas, it had breached this promise through the repressive actions of University administrators and campus police, who have systematically and intentionally suppressed constitutionally-protected expression,鈥� the lawsuit reads, noting that Berkeley was 鈥渙nce known as the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement.鈥�
The legal action was brought by two student organizations, the Berkeley College Republicans and the Young America鈥檚 Foundation, in response to officials cancelling Coulter鈥檚 appearance聽on Thursday 鈥渙n the grounds that specific threats by anarchist groups threatened security on campus,鈥� reported.
鈥淎nn Coulter is welcome on this campus but at a time when we can provide a venue that law enforcement professionals believe to be protectable,鈥� Dan Mogulof, a spokesman for the university, told the Times. He also said the university had received threats. 鈥淎s individuals or part of a militia, they intend to come to the campus to support Ann Coulter. 鈥� Our concerns have only grown,鈥� Mogulof said.
Coulter tweeted on Monday that she supports the lawsuit, which 鈥渄emands appropriate & safe venue for my speech THIS THURSDAY,鈥� and vowed the speech will go on. She also tweeted the weather forecast for Thursday.
Nice day for an outdoor speech at Berkeley.
鈥� Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter)
Coulter, a staunch conservative, has aligned herself with white nationalists recently.
Last November, the author of books including In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome! and 隆Audios America!: The Left鈥檚 Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third-World Hell Hole spoke to the annual 鈥淲riters Workshop鈥� event put on by the white nationalist publishing house The Social Contract Press聽(TSCP).聽During the speech, Coulter attacked the 1965 Immigration Act and said her 鈥渆piphany鈥� on immigration came after reading white nationalist Peter Brimelow鈥檚 1992 National Review essay, 鈥淭ime to ReThink Immigration?鈥�
The lawsuit at Berkeley comes a week after Auburn University cancelled a speaking engagement from white nationalist Richard Spencer, who enlisted Klan attorney Sam Dickson to successfully challenge the school鈥檚 cancellation after paying $700 for the use of a university building. It is also the second time Berkeley has put restrictions on 鈥渃onservative鈥� speakers. Earlier this month, college Republicans say they were forced to cancel another speaking engagement by anti-Muslim activist David Horowitz after school officials ordered his speech to be held a mile from the center of campus.
The cancellation of Coulter鈥檚 appearance comes after a series of violent confrontations between far-right extremists and antifascist protesters at Berkeley. In February, protests surrounding an appearance on campus by former Breitbart News Tech Editor Milo Yiannopoulos caused around $100,000 in damages as demonstrators smashed windows, set fires and stormed buildings.
The lawsuit demands unstated damages, compensation for attorney fees, a trial by jury and an injunction against Berkeley from "restricting the exercise of political expression on the UC Berkeley campus."
