Missouri School Lifts Restrictions on Conservative Student Group

by Jim Brown
March 30, 2004

(AgapePress) - Southwest Missouri State University has agreed to no longer discriminate against a conservative student group because of its views on issues like abortion and homosexuality.

The problem started when the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter was denied recognition by the student government, and told it could only hold rallies and protests in a 40-by-50-foot "free speech" area called the "Bear Paw." YAF then filed a lawsuit challenging the censorship policies.

Now Southwest Missouri State has settled with the conservative group and removed its restrictions on campus free speech. YAF's attorney Kevin Theriot says the school's administration stepped in and did the right thing.

"The first and most important thing they did is [to do] away with the free-speech zone," the attorney says. "Students are now permitted to speak and share their views -- whether they be conservative or liberal or religious or whatever -- on any part of the campus, assuming it doesn't interfere with classes.

"They also recognized Young Americans for Freedom; as a matter of fact, the administration had to step in because the student government was so recalcitrant in their discrimination."

Before the lawsuit, YAF was not allowed to recruit new members on campus in Springfield, and could only meet on campus once a semester. Theriot says the school made a wise move in allowing for campus-wide "expressive activities."

"There are some administrations that are clearly out to limit the conservative point of view and to squelch conservative speech -- [but] this wasn't one of those cases," he says.

"We had a situation where we had some old policies that were in place, and a little bit of education needed to take place," Theriot explains. "The administration, in this particular instance, got word of the lawsuit and started fixing the problems almost immediately. So we were really pleased about that."

Theriot says the school also acknowledged YAF's ability to define who their members are.