Gonzaga University has drawn the ire of 20 Washington state legislators in the form of a jointly signed letter for the school’s recent refusal to allow conservative commentator Ben Shapiro to speak on campus.
The legislators denounced Gonzaga’s decision and asked the private university to reconsider their stance, arguing that denying Shapiro the chance to speak was against Gonzaga’s values and mission. The lawmakers also pointed to the fact that Gonzaga was surrounded by Republican voters and districts, which had the potential to affect their future enrollment numbers. The lawmakers warned that the path Gonzaga was on could lead it to be “an island of isolated political views.”
Disappointed in Gonzaga decision re @benshapiro . I attended G- Prep and spent a yr living/working/teaching w Jesuits in Mozambique. Denying him lecture opportunity is antithetical to its intellectual values, a disservice to GU students and frustrating to taxpayers support of GU. https://t.co/m8xc1QTqDW
— Michael Baumgartner (@VoteBaumgartner) December 21, 2018
In November, citing their event policy and their “mission based on the teachings of Christ Jesus,” Gonzaga formally declined to allow Shapiro, who is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire, to speak on campus. Gonzaga’s stance was that Shapiro’s appearances had a tendency to draw large protests that would eventually lead to “extremely divisive and hateful speech and behavior, which is offensive to many people, regardless of their age, politics or beliefs.”
In September 2017, Shapiro made an appearance at the University of California, Berkeley, where nine people were arrested at a large protest against him. The estimated cost of security for the event was $600,000.
Free speech on campuses has been a hot-button topic in the last few years, but most of the stories surrounding incidents like this are at public universities, whereas Gonzaga is a private university. The lawmakers in their letter recognize Gonzaga’s independence but suggest that because some students receive federal and state funds for financial assistance, government money shouldn’t be allowed to be used to silence specific political voices.
