University of South Alabama: Student Directed to Remove Pro-Trump Sign
Cases
University of South Alabama
Case Overview
FIRE Victory closed
Months after Donald Trump was elected president, a University of South Alabama student was ordered by a campus administrator to remove a 鈥淭rump/Pence 2016鈥 sign from his dorm room window. The administrator cited the university鈥檚 tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status, which prohibits the university from endorsing or opposing a political candidate. The student refused, citing the First Amendment. FIREwrote to the university explaining鈥攆or the third time鈥攖hat 501(c)(3) did not require or permit the university to censor student political speech that no reasonable person would believe to constitute action by the university itself. The university dropped the charges against the student.