On Thursday, March 21st President Trump signed an executive order to protect free speech on college campuses. Yes - we know - the First Amendment already does this. However, it seems some of our educational institutions need reminding. The order threatens to withhold federal funds from colleges and universities that do not adequately protect their students' dissenting speech.
It calls on the heads of the Departments of Education, Health & Human Services, Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Transportation, and Energy, the EPA, NASA, and National Science Foundation, to “take appropriate steps, in a manner consistent with applicable law, including the First Amendment, to ensure institutions that receive Federal research or education grants promote free inquiry, including through compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies.”
Among other things,
President Trump said
,
“Under the guise of ‘speech codes’ and ‘safe spaces’ and ‘trigger warnings,’ these universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity, and shut down the voices of great young Americans like those here today."
During the press conference, President Trump was surrounded by young students including Cincinnati Right to Life Executive Director's own sister, Ellen Wittman. As President of Students for Life at Miami University, Ellen found herself in a
legal battle with university leadership
when she led her team in putting up the Cemetery of the Innocents display in the fall of 2017. The university insisted that Ellen set up trigger warning signs ahead of the display to warn students of the content. With the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, Ellen and Students for Life sued Miami University - and WON! Ellen spoke next to President Trump this week in support of his executive order. We are so proud to see our local students standing up for life and representing our movement at the national level.
Watch the press conference
HERE
! (Ellen's segment starts at about 5:30.)
