OSU right in call

Published 8:11 am Thursday, October 26, 2017

On Sunday, The Ohio State University was sued in federal court by an associate and campus tour organizer of white supremacist Richard Spencer, after the school refused to grant a space for the “alt right” leader to speak on the Columbus campus.

OSU stated that, while they valued free speech, having Spencer on campus represented “a substantial risk to public safety.”

The university had met with law enforcement and security and considered Spencer’s recent appearance at the University of Florida, in which the state’s governor, Rick Scott, declared an emergency in the county and security costs were estimated at $600,000. Spencer and his supporters were outnumbered by protesters at the event and he was booed off the stage.

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Spencer was also among those booked to speak at the “Unite the Right” rally of white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the “alt right” in Charlottesville, Virginia this summer, in which one of the participants was charged with second-degree murder after counter demonstrator Heather Heyer was run over by a vehicle, in what authorities said was an intentional attack.

While the free and open exchange of ideas is valuable, the kind of violent individuals who follow Spencer are a potential threat to the well-being of the students at OSU.
In Gainesville, Spencer was not invited by the school, nor by any student organization on campus. This is also the case in Columbus.

Student and taxpayer funds should not go toward having to provide heightened security for an out-of-state agitator who seeks to create chaos and controversy.
OSU made the right call in denying Spencer’s request and put the needs of its student body first.