University of Michigan says no to Richard Spencer before end of academic year
Racist 鈥渁lt-right鈥� leader Richard Spencer won鈥檛 be taking his ill-received speaking tour to the University of Michigan before the summer.
that no potential dates for Spencer to speak on campus are being considered before school ends on April 28.
What happens next for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Spencer and his backers remains to be seen.
鈥淯niversity officials said the latest communication from a representative of Spencer suggested the possibility of looking at dates later in the year,鈥� University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said in a statement posted online. 鈥淚n light of that suggestion, the university will offer potential dates after the end of the current semester.鈥�
University President Mark Schlissel has previously said he won鈥檛 authorize the rental of a university facility unless a 鈥渞easonably safe setting鈥� for such an event could be assured.
On Twitter, , has repeatedly threatened聽a lawsuit if Spencer is not allowed to speak. Bristow, who has declined to speak to the Southern Poverty Law Center, has extended a deadline for a decision multiple times.
Cameron Padgett, a 29-year-old Georgia State University graduate student, has been attempting to book Spencer at campuses across the country.
Bristow, a self-proclaimed 鈥渁lt-right鈥� lawyer, has been threatening to sue schools that turn down the requests.
He鈥檚 already sued Auburn University, Ohio State, Penn State and the University of Cincinnati.
Spencer has been an unwelcome presence on many campuses after appearing at the violent rally in Charlottesville, where聽聽was run down and killed聽by a white supremacist, and Gainesville, where racists fired a gun at protestors.
Padgett settled with Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Spencer is scheduled to speak there on March 5, amid promises of counter-protests.
A group called has posted on Facebook plans to oppose any speech by the alt-right front man and hold counter protest if he鈥檚 allowed on campus.
