At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), a conservative, Christian art student won a significant victory in her lawsuit against the institution. Maggie DeJong claimed that the university suppressed her right to free speech and discriminated against her in response to her classmates’ objections.
The settlement, brokered with assistance from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), stipulates that three SIUE professors undergo mandatory training regarding the importance of free speech within college campuses.
The settlement further necessitates the revision of the university’s student handbook and policies to assure inclusivity for students representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and ideological viewpoints in the art therapy program.
The school will also make a payment of $80,000 to bring the lawsuit to an end.
DeJong’s legal win comes a year after the university issued her with three “no-contact orders”, barring her from direct or indirect communication with certain students. These orders came in response to allegations that her conservative viewpoints amounted to “harassment” and “discrimination.”
DeJong, appearing on “Fox & Friends First,” shared that her class participation often included discussing sensitive topics such as race relations, religion, COVID-19, and censorship.
DeJong’s conservative perspective, most notably expressed in her social media posts concerning abortion and police defunding, sparked controversy amongst her classmates, culminating in the issuance of the no-contact order as her three-year graduate program was nearing completion.
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ADF’s Senior Counsel, Tyson Langhoffer, explained how DeJong’s defense of Kyle Rittenhouse and criticism of critical race theory upset her classmates, leading the university to impose the no-contact orders, thus preventing her full participation in class discussions.
The university also called upon her peers to report her for “harmful rhetoric,” while not providing DeJong an opportunity to defend her stance.
In a positive step toward preserving free speech, university officials have agreed to review their policies to provide students with “substantive and procedural protections” from no-contact orders.
Responding to Fox News Digital, SIUE directed the outlet to a statement from Chancellor James T. Minor.
In the statement he suggested people “see beyond the sensationalism of clickbait, media reports and headlines in search of a more complete understanding of the facts.”
He also stated that SIUE is “unequivocally committed to protecting First Amendment rights and does not have policies that restrict free speech nor support censorship.”
“For decades, universities have embraced the challenge of vigorously protecting free speech while at the same time creating a safe learning environment for the expression of diverse views,” Minor said.
“Protecting these two principles can create tensions. For example, while the First Amendment protects free speech (no matter how offensive), it does not protect behavior on a campus that creates a pervasively hostile environment for other students,” he continued.
“We accept that balancing these two deeply valued principles of free speech and a safe environment, in real-time, represent inherent complications for administering prudence,” he added.
ADF Legal Counsel Mathew Hoffmann, in a statement, said, “Public universities can’t punish students for expressing their political and religious viewpoints. But the University did just that by issuing unconstitutional no-contact orders against Maggie.”
“This settlement helps ensure that what happened to Maggie will not happen to any other student,” Hoffman continued. “We are hopeful that this free speech victory opens universities to what they should be — marketplaces of ideas, not echo chambers for one ideology.”
Hoffman’s statement underscores the essence of the broader debate: universities should be the marketplace of ideas, not echo chambers for one ideology.
This settlement in SIUE marks a victory for free speech, highlighting an ongoing issue where Christian students and universities often find themselves at odds.
