Press Release
May 20 UPDATE: On May 20th, MSLF sent a letter to UCLA calling out its unconstitutional ban on the Robert Spencer talk and demanding that the University prevent the destruction of evidence relevant to a potential lawsuit. MSLF and YAF are preparing our next steps to hold UCLA accountable for its unlawful censorship. Stay tuned for further details.
May 16, 2024 UPDATE: On May 15th, Young America’s Freedom chapter at UCLA was set to host an event with speaker Robert Spencer, the founder of Jihad Watch, entitled “Why Everything You Know About Palestine is Wrong”. This is an event that UCLA had initially refused to approve based on the most ridiculous excuse imaginable: that because UCLA was allowing an unlawful anti-Israel protest “encampment” on campus, it would be a security problem to host contrary, pro-Israel views. The University’s excuse was unconstitutional—the solution was obvious: stop the illegal encampment, but don’t shut down YAF’s peaceful free speech. Fortunately, after Mountain States threatened legal action against UCLA for its unlawful censorship of YAF, the University changed course on May 8, and approved the event . . . or seemed to.
But when YAF students arrived to set up for the event on May 15, they were shocked to find the doors to their venue locked. When they inquired with UCLA officials, the students were told that they needed to move their event to a “low-traffic, remote location,” based on the same unjustified excuse as before: that anti-Israel protestors would react violently to the expression of pro-Israel views, creating security concerns. But this is nothing less than caving in to a mob, and an unconstitutional “heckler’s veto.” UCLA is a public university supported by public tax dollars. It has a duty to ensure that peaceful speech is not “shouted down” by radical activists; and it has a duty to treat all viewpoints equally—including pro-Israel views, no matter how unpopular they may be with extreme radicals hosting a sleepover on campus.
Mountain States’ attorney James Kerwin had this to say in response to UCLA’s actions, “We are deeply disappointed that UCLA has gone back on its approval of YAF’s event and violated the free speech rights of students. Shutting down the free speech of one group to appease another group’s feelings is unconstitutional and illegal. We warned UCLA that discriminating against YAF’s views because they are unpopular or might be upsetting to anti-Israel activists was unlawful and could expose the University to a lawsuit. They seemed to be taking our warning to heart, only to reverse course at the last minute. We stand with YAF and look forward to defending their rights. UCLA has no one to blame but itself for what comes next.”
MSLF and YAF are preparing our next steps to hold UCLA accountable for its unlawful censorship. Stay tuned for further details.
MAY 8, 2024 UPDATE: After receiving our demand letter on behalf of the Young Americans for Freedom chapter on the UCLA campus, regarding free speech violations, UCLA has responded with approval of YAF’s event. This is a victory for free speech and the Constitution. This is not the first and will undoubtedly not be the last time YAF and Mountain States team up to protect free speech on college campuses.
“We are gratified that UCLA leadership has reversed course in response to our letter. The University was playing favorites: coddling leftwing anti-Israel activists while silencing voices with differing views. That was a violation of democratic norms and the Constitution. We are glad that UCLA has come to its senses on this matter.”” said Senior Attorney James Kerwin.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
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INSTEAD OF RESPONDING TO ANTI-SEMITISM AND CHAOS ON ITS CAMPUS, UCLA IS SUPPRESSING CONSERVATIVE FREE SPEECH
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (May 1, 2024) — Mountain States Legal Foundation has issued a demand letter to UCLA, accusing the University of trampling on the fundamental rights of students enshrined in the First Amendment.
The controversy lies in the University’s failure to allow an on-campus event slated for May 15, featuring the prominent speaker and founder of Jihad Watch, Robert Spencer, about the topic, “Why Everything You Know About Palestine Is Wrong.” Despite Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) diligently following UCLA’s protocols and submitting all required documentation well in advance, the University has thrown up numerous roadblocks, delaying approval and stifling the free exchange of ideas.
It is evident that UCLA hasn’t yet granted permission for the event due to the content of Mr. Spencer’s speech, which rejects terrorism and sympathy toward Hamas in the Middle East conflict. This chilling attempt to silence his voice—along with the students who invited him—is nothing short of an assault on speech and the marketplace of ideas.
Compounding this egregious behavior is the University’s disturbing complacency in the face of an illegal encampment erected by anti-Semitic activists on campus. Reports of violence, intimidation, and obstruction of access to campus facilities have poured in, yet UCLA has failed to take decisive action, leaving students and faculty subject to physical injury.
But as if that weren’t enough, UCLA is now saying that YAF’s event can’t be approved until the encampment is gone, due to the tensions on campus surrounding the conflict in the Middle East! That excuse—where the school suppresses conservative speech based on its lack of will to quell leftwing violence—just won’t fly.
MSLF’s demand letter to UCLA insists on immediate approval of YAF’s event featuring Mr. Spencer, and a firm commitment to upholding the First Amendment rights of all students. Anything less is an affront to the principles of liberty and the marketplace of ideas.
MSLF Senior Attorney James Kerwin said in the demand letter, “UCLA’s course of conduct as a whole—coddling patently illegal and violent leftwing ‘protestors’ on the one hand, and imposing limitations on the pure speech of presenters with heterodox views on the other—cannot be viewed as anything other than discrimination on the basis of viewpoint. Put simply, UCLA tolerates illegal activity by some because they support the elimination of Israel, and at the same time, works tirelessly to impose roadblocks against actual speech and the exchange of ideas by others because they support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself.”
UCLA’s failures are glaring. The University must immediately approve YAF’s event, reaffirm its dedication to academic freedom and its constitutional duties, and question why any university administrator at UCLA has tried to suppress conservative speech due to leftwing violence.
Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) is a nonprofit, public-interest legal firm established in 1977. MSLF is dedicated to individual liberty, limited and ethical government, and the benefits of the free enterprise system. MSLF defends its clients through pro bono litigation and seeks victory for its clients at the highest level possible to establish binding legal precedents to benefit millions of Americans. Through its litigation and public discourse, MSLF educates the American public on the threat unrestrained government presents to our liberties. Learn more at mslegal.org