> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
Campus Speech
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

U. of Washington Settles Campus Republicans’ Free-Speech Lawsuit for $127,000

By  Teghan Simonton
June 18, 2018
The U. of Washington will pay $127,000 to settle a lawsuit by its College Republicans chapter over a security fee the university imposed for a campus event involving a right-wing group.
U. of Washington
The U. of Washington will pay $127,000 to settle a lawsuit by its College Republicans chapter over a security fee the university imposed for a campus event involving a right-wing group.

The University of Washington will pay $127,000 in legal fees to lawyers for the university’s College Republicans to settle a free-speech lawsuit filed by the group, The Seattle Times reports.

The College Republicans chapter sued after the university tried to charge a $17,000 security fee for the group to hold a campus rally in February with the right-wing group Patriot Prayer. A federal district-court judge blocked the fee.

The rally took place as scheduled, protesters and counterprotesters clashed several times, and a number of people were arrested.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

The U. of Washington will pay $127,000 to settle a lawsuit by its College Republicans chapter over a security fee the university imposed for a campus event involving a right-wing group.
U. of Washington
The U. of Washington will pay $127,000 to settle a lawsuit by its College Republicans chapter over a security fee the university imposed for a campus event involving a right-wing group.

The University of Washington will pay $127,000 in legal fees to lawyers for the university’s College Republicans to settle a free-speech lawsuit filed by the group, The Seattle Times reports.

The College Republicans chapter sued after the university tried to charge a $17,000 security fee for the group to hold a campus rally in February with the right-wing group Patriot Prayer. A federal district-court judge blocked the fee.

The rally took place as scheduled, protesters and counterprotesters clashed several times, and a number of people were arrested.

In the lawsuit, the student club argued that it was being discriminated against and that the university’s actions violated “fundamental principles of free speech, equal protection, and due process,” according to a letter to the university’s president from William J. Becker, president and general counsel of the law and advocacy firm Freedom X.

ADVERTISEMENT

The University of Washington had argued that the fee was necessary so that it could hire security officers to guarantee public safety during the event. According to the settlement, the university said it would stop charging such fees unless a group specifically requests that security be present. The settlement states, however, that nothing in the agreement prevents the university from imposing a “constitutionally permissible security fee” for campus events.

“The University of Washington strongly supports a free and open exchange of opinions and ideas,” said Victoria Balta, a spokeswoman for the university, in a written statement. “We have a responsibility to our campus community to ensure that safety and security are maintained during any event held on campus, and we are pleased that the settlement preserves our ability to develop a long-term solution that balances free speech and campus safety without passing the burden of sometimes significant security costs on to all students.”

Last year a man was shot on the campus outside a speech by the right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, and the university’s president, Ana Mari Cauce, subsequently said that she cannot promise the safety of people on the campus.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Leadership & Governance
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Content

  • As U. of Washington Braces for Right-Wing Rally, Judge Bars It From Charging Security Fee
  • Security Costs Loom Larger in Campus Free-Speech Fights. A Lawsuit Shows Why.
  • Fear and Loathing in the Campaign’s Wake
  • When an Internet Troll Is Invited to Speak, a College President Is Challenged
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin