FILE -
In this Dec. 6, 2016, file photo,
Richard Spencer, who leads a
movement that mixes racism, white
nationalism and populism, speaks at
the Texas A&M University campus in
College Station, Texas. An associate
of Spencer sued Ohio State
University after it refused to rent
campus space for him to speak. The
lawsuit was filed Sunday, Oct. 22,
2017, in federal court in Columbus.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip,
File)(David J. Phillip)
Regents
to
consider
white
racest
Richard
Spencer
request
to speak
at UM
Alexa St
John and
Riyah
Basha
Michigan
Daily
News
Editor
ANN
ARBOR -
In a
campus-wide
email,
Schlissel
has
confirmed
the
University
is in
talks to
find a
space
for
Spencer
to speak
on
campus.
If there
is no
agreement
that
guarantees
student
safety,
he
wrote,
Spencer
will not
speak.
"We now
face a
very
difficult
test of
our
ability
to
uphold
these
values.
This is
a test
we did
not
welcome,
but it’s
one that
we must
face
together,"
he
wrote.
"Let me
be
clear.
U-M has
not
invited
this
individual
to our
campus,
nor is
anyone
in our
community
sponsoring
him. His
representatives
made a
request
to rent
space on
our
campus
for him
to
speak.
We are
legally
prohibited
from
blocking
such
requests
based
solely
on the
content
of that
speech,
however
sickening
it is."
Schlissel
emphasized
his
distaste
of
Spencer
and his
rhetoric
and
encouraged
students
to
ignore
his
upcoming
visit.
The
University
of
Michigan
Board of
Regents
will
convene
for a
special
meeting
Tuesday
night to
discuss
allowing
white
supremacist
Richard
Spencer
to speak
on
campus.
The
meeting
will
take
place at
7 p.m.
in the
Union
Anderson
room.
The
announcement
was sent
via
email
from
University
spokesman
Rick
Fitzgerald,
who
noted
there
would be
“an
announcement
regarding
the
request
to rent
space
from
Richard
Spencer.”
Central
Student
Government
President
Anushka
Sarkar,
an LSA
senior,
also
tweeted
the
announcement
with a
link for
community
members
to sign
up
beforehand
to speak
during
public
comment.
Last
week,
lawyers
threatened
to sue
the
University
if a
decision
were not
released
by this
Friday.
Kyle
Bristow,
an
attorney
representing
Cameron
Padgett,
the
Georgia
State
University
student
making
requests
for
Spencer,
laid
down the
ultimatum.
“Violations
of our
people’s
sacred
right to
free
speech
will not
whatsoever
be
tolerated
by me. I
will use
any and
all
resources
as my
disposal
to see
this
matter
through
to a
just and
equitable
conclusion.”
The
prospect
of
Spencer
coming
to speak
on
campus
first
arose at
the end
of
October,
sparking
student
protest
and
statements
from
several
student
organizations.
Many
students
changed
their
profile
pictures
to
“Hail,
not Heil”
against
Spencer’s
neo-Nazi
rhetoric.
“Allowing
such a
person
to speak
on this
campus
is a
threat
to the
physical
and
emotional
safety
of many
students
on
campus,”
read a
letter
sent
from the
Black
Student
Union to
University
President
Mark
Schlissel
Oct. 31.
“Too
many
times
already
have
students
of color
been
placed
under
emotional
distress
due to
racist
campus
climate.”
LSA
junior
Timberlee
Whiteus,
vice
president
of the
University’s
chapter
of the
NAACP,
said
earlier
this
month
the
argument
that the
University
can’t
deny
requests
based on
content
contradicts
with the
University’s
promise
to
maintain
a
community
safe for
those on
campus.
“I
find it
absurd
that the
University
has
released
a
statement
saying
they
don’t
deny
requests
based on
content
seeing
that the
content
contradicts
the
beliefs
of the
University
and
those in
administrative
power,”
Whiteus
said.
University
regents
have
also
vocalized
their
concerns
surrounding
the
request.
In
an email
obtained
by The
Daily,
Regent
Ron
Weiser
(R)
expressed
concerns
surrounding
allowing
Spencer
to come
to
campus.
“Spencer
is a
disgusting
and
dangerous
man.
This has
been
expressed
by many
members
of the
University
community,”
Weiser
wrote.
“I hope
we are
successful
in
keeping
him off
Campus.”
In a
previous
email to
The
Daily,
Regent
Andrea
Fischer
Newman
(R) —
who is
also the
senior
vice
president
for
government
affairs
for
Delta
Air
Lines —
said she
“would
be happy
to
defend a
lawsuit”
against
allowing
Spencer
to come.