UC Merced Tries to Charge College Republicans $17,000 for Ben Shapiro Event
“students were notified barely six weeks in advance”
We never see exorbitant security fees like this charged to liberal groups or speakers. Isn’t that interesting?
The Washington Examiner reports:
UC Merced charges College Republicans $17,000 for Ben Shapiro event
The College Republicans of the University of California, Merced sent a letter to Chancellor Dorothy Leland earlier this week, threatening a lawsuit over an unconstitutional security fee levied on the club to host a speech by Ben Shapiro on April 12.
Despite the fact that the UC Merced College Republicans met multiple times with administrators to plan the event, the students were notified barely six weeks in advance of the $17,000 fee.
Freedom X law firm, which has represented a number of conservative students and organizations in free speech cases, argues that the school’s security fee is a violation of the students’ constitutional rights to free speech and assembly.
Harry Duran, president of the UC Merced College Republicans, told Red Alert Politics, “Even though we are a campus organization/club, the administration claimed that they had nothing on the books that forces them to pay for our exorbitant security cost.”
According to Duran, the school has since reduced the security fee to $1,823, but Freedom X’s founder William Becker and the College Republicans have promised to fight until it is completely overturned.
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Comments
Conservatives need to create a 501c3 to pay these costs for student groups and then donate an equal amount to some conservative cause. They need to send out a press release and the receiving group can issue a press release thanking the university.
All that would really do would make the University say, “Oh, did we say $17,000? We meant $170,000. In cash, please.”
Same darned thing happens when tuition assistance goes up by X dollars. Tuition goes up by X+ dollars.
Republicans need to start a 501(c)(3) to TAKE THESE ILLEGAL EXTORTION AND HARASSMENT TACTICIANS posing as university admins, to court!
Make them PAY THROUGH THE NOSE. PUNCH back twice as hard – where it hurts them the most, in the wallet!
I would prefer that the school estimates security costs for all events and then splits the fee equally amongst all speakers.
Keep suing them – it is the only language they will hear: money. Hit them in their gut, because they KNOW what they are doing is illegal, is outrageous, and they have been able to get away with it for so long because few if any have put up a counter-punch, like this.
Good for you!! Future leaders of America – makes me feel there is indeed hope……stay strong!