U. Baltimore Students Protest Choice of Betsy DeVos as Fall Commencement Speaker

U. Baltimore Students Protest Choice of Betsy DeVos as Fall Commencement Speaker

You have to give DeVos credit for putting herself out there so often. She has to know this is going to happen.

The Baltimore Sun reports:

University of Baltimore students protest Betsy DeVos as fall commencement speaker

University of Baltimore president Kurt Schmoke defended his decision to invite U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to speak at the school’s fall commencement, even as dozens of students protested Monday and thousands signed a petition demanding he rescind the offer.

Schmoke, a former mayor of Baltimore, said students should reserve judgment on DeVos, a controversial member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet. Hosting her, he said, is “in the best tradition of the university.”

“The university stands for freedom of speech,” Schmoke said. “My bottom line conclusion is the university stands for debate on controversial issues. I do feel that having the U.S. Secretary of Education on our campus is something that’s very important for the university, and in the long run, I believe that students will recognize that whether they agree with her position on issues or not.”

Dozens of students participated in a “class walk out” demonstration Monday afternoon, the first of two protests planned for the day.

Tracy Johnson, a junior, was among them. She stood up midway through her global ethics class and walked out, carrying a neon orange sign that read, #NeverBetsy.

“Commencement is not the place for Betsy DeVos,” Johnson said. “We’re a public institution. She stands against everything we represent.”

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