(The Center Square) – Discipline of a student and removal of flyers associated with Charlie Kirk have been reversed at a private Christian liberal arts institution in the North Carolina Sandhills.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression told The Center Square on Tuesday the news is positive for the student and his anti-political violence message, and for expressive rights of all Campbell University students.
“This is great news, not only for Justin and his anti-political violence message, but for the expressive rights of all Campbell students,” said FIRE Program Officer Dominic Coletti. “Campbell took a more-speech approach and signaled that it won’t remove flyers because of their content going forward.”
Kirk was shot to death in at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10. The next day, Campbell law student Justin Booker posted flyers that included Kirk and his family and the words “end political violence” in multiple places in the law school.
The flyers were removed on Sept. 12 by Assistant Dean Regina Chavis, Coletti says, and he was told not to post any others. He said the institution cited “one policy that limits posting to designated bulletin boards and bars posting anywhere else within the law school and another giving a dean unfettered power to rip down student posters.”
Campbell is known for its Baptist affiliation, and schools for law and pharmacy. The private higher education institution of approximately 4,800 students was founded in 1887 in the Harnett County community of Buies Creek.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is nonpartisan. The nonprofit defends free speech, academic freedom and due process.
