Dartmouth Charging College Republicans $3,600 ‘Security Fee’ for Event Held Online
“It’s also terribly ironic that an event focused on violent protests was canceled over the threat of violent protests”
The College Republicans invited the journalist Andy Ngo to speak. The event is virtual. Why the need for a security fee?
The College Fix reports:
Dartmouth charges $3,600 ‘security fee’ for a Republican-sponsored cyber event
Dartmouth College has demanded the school’s chapter of College Republicans pay a $3,600 “security fee” for an online event featuring a guest speaker.
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Dartmouth canceled an in-person event featuring journalist (and former College Fix reporter) Andy Ngo, citing “concerning information” from the Hanover Police.
The school urged the College Republicans to hold the event online.
Later, the Hanover Police Department told FIRE it “did not make a recommendation to Dartmouth College regarding the January 20th event,” suggesting Dartmouth’s excuse for canceling the event was bogus.
“Unfortunately, we were not surprised when Dartmouth doubled down, stating that the Hanover police relayed to the college that ‘the information they received . . . was credible and caused them concern for the safety of those on campus,’” wrote FIRE’s Sabrina Conza.
“We tend to believe the actual records from the police — which show no recommendation for Dartmouth to cancel events — over Dartmouth’s vague statements of ‘concerning information.’”
“Administrators have argued they didn’t cancel the event — it was held on Zoom,” wrote College Republicans Vice President Chloe Ezzo in an opinion piece for The College Fix in January. “But what they fail to mention is that all of this was done on such short notice; we only had two laptops on hand, and no way to get the livestream link right away to those who were already driving home.”
“It’s also terribly ironic that an event focused on violent protests was canceled over the threat of violent protests,” wrote Ezzo, adding, “At this point I do not trust the administration to not cancel any of our future events.”
Later, Dartmouth sent the College Republicans a $3,600 bill for the event, citing security costs. The College Republicans will not be eligible for any financial assistance until the bill is paid.
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Comments
This is why no one should know your political affiliation unless you decide to tell them. That should be just as sacred as any other personal beliefs that one holds to.
We might as well start wearing armbands so they can tell who we are at a distance in case they decide to start shooting or herd us into camps.
“College Republicans” should change their name to “Amish Students” or “Students with Old-Fashioned Values” or something.
I remember years ago a professor, who was clearly a Republican. never used any political words but he might just as well have because everybody knew what he was talking about. Now they call that a dog whistle so I guess you can’t win.
In addition to violent protests, the left has raised the level of passive aggressive BS to an amazing level.
What kind of “security costs” could the university have incurred for an on-line event?
Upon reading deeper in the article, particularly the line about getting the online link to “people who were driving home,” it sounds like the in-person event was cancelled immediately prior to opening the doors, people were turned away, then the Zoom event was thrown together immediately with zero advance planning. For this reason, I suspect the “security fee” was for security associated with the in-person event that the school cancelled before it was started. In that case, I’d give the college a big FU — you can’t cancel an event, then charge me for it.
Security fees for a cancelled event…you you can just FRO, Dartmouth!
“…suggesting Dartmouth’s excuse for canceling the event was bogus.”
Just like a degree from Dartmouth will be in the near future.
What’s the justification for charging them for the zoom presentation? Surely that’s an impermissble restriction on their speech