Elizabethtown College: Conservative Student Group Denied Permission to Host Speaker Opposed to Critical Race Theory
Cases
Elizabethtown College
Case Overview
In August 2021, Elizabethtown College鈥檚 Turning Point USA student chapter invited political commentator Joe Basrawi to speak at an event. Basrawi chose critical race theory as the topic of his talk. After TPUSA advertised the event on social media, an administrator objected to the flyer鈥檚 description of the event (鈥淐ritical Hate Theory鈥) and informed the group that the college needed to approve guest speakers. TPUSA then submitted the required information, but administrators denied the request on the basis that Basrawi would promote a 鈥渘egative鈥 view of critical race theory and 鈥渃ause division and disorder鈥 on campus. On October 5, FIREwrote to Etown explaining that its viewpoint-based denial of TPUSA鈥檚 speaker request violated the college鈥檚 promises of free speech.