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Lawsuit: Conservative Student Claims He Was Forced to Advocate Liberal Policies

Lawsuit: Conservative Student Claims He Was Forced to Advocate Liberal Policies

“his professor required him to lobby the state legislature for progressive ‘social and economic justice’ policies”

This happened years ago at Rhode Island College, but it’s just heading to court now.

Ashe Schow reports at the Daily Wire:

College Forced Conservative To Advocate Liberal Causes. Now The Case Is Going To A Jury.

William Felkner was once a graduate student at Rhode Island College (RIC), working toward a degree from the college’s School of Social Work. As part of his “policy and organizing” class, his professor required him to lobby the state legislature for progressive “social and economic justice” policies, which Felkner, a conservative libertarian, did not support.

When Felkner refused to advocate for policies with which he disagreed, he was given a failing grade in the class. That was in 2004.

In 2007, Felkner filed a lawsuit against RIC.

Now, 15 years after he received his failing grade, Felkner’s case is going to be heard by a jury, according to the College Fix’s Greg Piper.

Two years ago, First Amendment protection groups, such as the Cato Institute, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and the National Association of Scholars, filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Felkner, asking the Rhode Island Supreme Court to overturn a trial court ruling against the former student. The court has finally agreed to do so.

“The record in this case is voluminous and replete with disputed facts. Resolving all such facts in the light most favorable to Felkner, the issue is whether he has made tenable claims that defendants have violated his constitutional rights to free speech and expression. We believe that he has,” the court wrote.

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Comments

May he be victorious.

Fifteen years later, twelve years after he filed suit, finally getting his day in court.

Better late than never, I suppose.