Richard Spencer Will Speak at Michigan State — Way Out on a Farm

Months ago, Michigan State University received a request to rent out a campus venue to Richard B. Spencer. After some legal wrangling, that effort succeeded. The white supremacist is scheduled to visit East Lansing on Monday, the first day of the university’s spring break.

But the venue is a somewhat unconventional one for a speaker like Spencer: the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education, far away from the heart of the campus.

Michigan State, a land-grant university that has long been renowned for its agricultural programs and research, says on its website that the pavilion is “great for livestock sales” and features a 140-stall barn and a campground.

There are three main facilities within the pavilion: an arena, which is used for livestock shows, concerts, and demonstrations; an exhibit area for trade shows or livestock stalls and pens; and an auditorium, where Spencer will speak. The website says the 364-seat auditorium is “used for livestock auctions and large meetings.”

Michigan State has one of the largest campuses in the country in terms of area, spanning some 5,200 acres. Most of the academic buildings, residence halls, and athletic facilities are on the north side of the sprawling institution.

Drive south, and the landscape quickly changes to farmland, but it’s still Michigan State’s campus. The university’s agricultural programs and research facilities are located there, surrounded by farmland and fields dotted with horses and cows. That’s where you’ll find the pavilion.

The venue is a mile and a half from the College of Human Medicine, which is on the southern edge of the academic part of the campus.

Lou Anna K. Simon, who was Michigan State’s president until a few weeks ago, addressed the selection of the livestock pavilion and the timing of his speech in a January 18 statement: “This agreement was based on the university’s requirement that the event occur on a date and at a venue that minimizes the risk of violence or disruption to campus.” A Michigan State spokesman didn’t respond to a request for further comment.

Spencer has appeared at a handful of colleges over the past 14 months, hoping to recruit more young people to his racist movement. Some public universities have become embroiled in legal battles over his requests to speak. His campus speeches have often drawn more counterprotesters than supporters.

Cameron Padgett, a Georgia State University student and Spencer supporter, is the person who typically requests the campus venue rentals for Spencer and his National Policy Institute; Spencer isn’t directly involved.

Padgett sent such a request to Michigan State last summer, a couple of weeks before white supremacists and protesters clashed in Charlottesville, Va., a scuffle that turned deadly. Spencer had been scheduled to speak there before the violence broke out.

Padgett initially asked for a conference room in the on-campus Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. Michigan State officials denied Padgett’s request in August, citing “significant concerns about public safety” and the “tragic violence” in Charlottesville. Padgett then sued the university.

In January, Padgett and the university settled the lawsuit, and officials agreed to allow Spencer to speak on the campus, but in the livestock pavilion. Padgett also had to agree not to organize a rally in conjunction with the event.

Padgett’s lawyer, Kyle Bristow, described the settlement as “a resounding First Amendment victory for people of the right-wing or alternative-right political persuasion.” He added: “It stabs at the very heart of left-wing censorship in academia.” Bristow didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Students, faculty members, and staff members are planning to protest Spencer’s appearance.

Sarah Brown writes about a range of higher-education topics, including sexual assault, race on campus, and Greek life. Follow her on Twitter @Brown_e_Points, or email her at sarah.brown@chronicle.com.