Simon Goldstein, a senior computer science major at the University of Virginia, thought his political-science class would be the perfect place to wear his new “Make America Christian Again” hat.
Goldstein, a practicing Christian, saw the hat on X and thought it was a funny play on the “Make America Great Again” slogan popularized by President-elect Donald Trump.
He wore the hat to his class, which focused on elections, several times without incident. Until October 24, when he opened up his email to see a message from the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (OECR).
The email from OECR senior compliance director Nicole Thompson explained that the office had “recently received a report about you” and she was looking to schedule a Zoom call to discuss it.
“This call is not disciplinary in nature, nor is it part of a formal EOCR investigative process,” the email read. “The goal of this informal conversation is to discuss the concerns that were reported and provide you an opportunity to share your perspective or any information and ask questions.”
Goldstein said he couldn’t think of what he could have done that warranted the attention of the EOCR.
He later participated in a 20-minute Zoom meeting with Thompson, who explained that the department had received a complaint about his hat through the university’s “Just Report It” system, which encourages members of the campus community to file anonymous complaints of bias, discrimination and harassment.
“I started busting out laughing,” he told National Review. “I was trying to be serious but I was like ‘This is too funny, this is ridiculous.’ I was on a call with some university official because I wore a hat to class.”
He recalls Thompson asking him if he saw how the hat could be offensive. She said it could be taken to mean that people of other religions aren’t welcome in the U.S. or that people should leave the country if they’re not Christian.
He explained that he wasn’t telling anyone to leave or forcing anyone to become Christian, only advocating for more Americans to turn to Christianity with a lighthearted piece of clothing.
She finished off the call by asking Goldstein if he planned to make any changes to his behavior now that he was aware of how the hat could be perceived as offensive – a comment that he took as a suggestion to stop wearing the hat.
He told her he still planned to wear the hat. Thompson said “OK” and the call ended shortly thereafter. That was the last he heard from the EOCR.
Reached for comment, a university spokeswoman told National Review the school “can’t comment on specific matters reported to the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights,” but said incidents submitted through the Just Report It system are “reviewed and involved individuals are often contacted to discuss the report and gather input.”
“UVA is committed to free speech and free expression on Grounds, as is detailed in our Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry,” she added. “While EOCR may have informal conversations with members of the community to share reported concerns, no formal or disciplinary action is taken in cases involving protected speech and expression.”
After his meeting with the EOCR, Goldstein was proud to double down and continue wearing the hat to class.
One of his peers in the political-science class then asked him to take the hat off, explaining that it could be seen as offensive. The girl explained that while she is Christian too, she’s concerned the hat could make people feel as though they’re not welcome.
“I was like, ‘Well, that’s not what the hat says and I fully stand behind this message so I’m not going to take it off,” he said.
Goldstein said he was taken aback by the university’s reaction to his hat. “I wouldn’t have been shocked by some weird looks or maybe a comment or two going to class — I heard stories from other universities of people getting canceled or reported for nonsense stuff — but I was definitely shocked when I got that email.”
“I imagine if I reported someone for wishing America would be more gay or something like that, they wouldn’t talk to that person and interrogate them,” he said. “They would tell me that I have the problem there. But when it’s this type of situation where someone’s reporting a Christian message, then they go attack the Christian student and not the student who wrongly reported me.”
UVA’s own actions support Goldstein’s theory that the university is more willing to protect speech dependent upon what that speech is promoting.
In 2020, then-undergraduate student Hira Azher was allowed to post a sign on the door of her dorm room on the university’s lawn that read, “FUCK UVA,” without consequence. The university said at the time that reprimanding Azher would amount to violating her First Amendment right.
Meanwhile, Goldstein says the anonymous report speaks to the lack of civil debate on college campuses these days.
“Some students anonymously reported me when they should confront me directly and we could have a civil debate about why they don’t like it or why I support it. That’s the vision of a university, to exchange ideas and debate and pursue truth. But that doesn’t happen anymore.”
The incident comes one year after UVA president Jim Ryan formed a task force on religious diversity and belonging. The group looked into the history of discrimination against religious minorities, including Jews and Muslims. However, 8 percent of Christian students said in a 2020 survey that they had personally experienced harassment or discrimination regarding their spiritual beliefs – not far off from the 11 percent of Muslims and 13 percent of Jews who said the same.