A conservative pundit who was intimidated and harassed by students during a free speech debate at Yale University last week criticized the school for taking the incident lightly and “hiding” in front of a crowd of more than 100 protesters.
On Thursday, the university released a statement, apparently in defense of students who threatened conservative speaker Kristen Wagoner during a March 10 event, to the point that police had to be called to escort a debater out of the building.
“I think it’s alarming that students are behaving this way,” Wagoner, one of two panelists on the civil liberties panel, said Friday during an interview with Fox and Friends’ Steve Doucey.
Wagoner, 50, a constitutional lawyer who was previously the lead lawyer in a Supreme Court case on First Amendment rights, described to Doucey the chaos that ensued when the group tried to close the event as soon as Wagonner started talking, with one student snarling, “I’ll do you it hurts, bitch” in a conservative speaker.
“It was not a protest,” Wagoner Dusi said during her first public appearance since the event more than a week ago. “It was physical intimidation and bullying that took place in the presence of the Yale administration.”
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Conservative legal expert Kristen Wagoner, who was harassed by students during a debate at Yale last week, spoke on Fox and Friends on Friday criticizing the school for failing to take action against students and creating a false narrative of chaos at the event. 10th of March.
During the interview, Wagoner, who is currently general counsel for the religious nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, accused the school of trying to cover up the incident after staff said in a statement that the police were not called to the event and that they would not have convicted the students involved.
“The biggest concern about this is that there is sound, and Yale is clearly misrepresenting what happened,” Wagoner said.
“We felt that the situation was unstable. It wasn’t just me. It was DP [police department] it was there. We were escorted out.
Wagoner continued: “The whole point of the panel was to showcase the civil discourse between two ideological adversaries and show where you can find common ground in the law that you have to protect civil liberties.
“They were more interested, these students, in swearing, insulting and shouting over speakers than engaging in civil dialogue,” Wagoner said.
She then stated, “Yale administrators should not hide from the crowd. They should push for the adoption of a culture of free speech.”
The examiner then remarked that such behavior should not take place on a law school campus in a law school classroom.
“These are America’s future leaders. These are our future lawyers, our lawyers, our legislators, our corporate leaders,” said Dusi, an experienced lawyer.
“It is imperative that we do not let the crowd control our participation in the debate. The best lawyers win, they write well and are prone to critical thinking. Yale needs to get back to these basic skills and teach them to their children and students.”
More than 100 students hinted at a conservative panelist during a free speech debate at Yale Law School last Thursday. The school said it would not take any action against students who they said were exercising their First Amendment rights.
Yale said in a statement Thursday that the school police “needed no assistance” at the event and that the students followed the rules set by the school and refused to issue a reprimand to the group.
“At the very start of the event on March 10, when the students started making noise, the moderator read the university’s free speech policy for the first time,” the school said, citing its protocols with three warnings about its free speech policy.
“At this point, the students walked out of the event and it continued. When students made noise in the hallways, administrators and staff would tell students to stop.”
The school went on to say that staff have reached out to Yale University police officers to ask if they need help if students don’t follow these instructions.
The Yale Law School said in a statement that the students followed directions and that police presence was not necessary, despite guest speakers being escorted out.
“Fortunately, this assistance was not needed and the event continued until its conclusion,” said Yale Lowe.
Officials added that the administration “nevertheless has a serious conversation with students about our policies, expectations and norms regarding freedom of speech.”
They issued the sugary statement after about 120 Yale law students were filmed yelling at Wagoner during a free speech debate with liberal humanist progressive Monica Miller of the American Humanist Association.
Protesters berated Wagoner, who has voiced controversial opinions about the LGBTQ community in the past, chanting “protect trans kids” and “shame, shame” throughout the law school building after police pulled Wagoner and her opponent out of a debate outside the building.
Protesters held signs attacking the Freedom Wagoner Alliance, which won several Supreme Court cases establishing religious exceptions to civil rights laws, and even threatened Wagoner with physical harm.
Wagoner criticized the school for refusing to issue a reprimand to more than 100 students for their actions, which resulted in the police escorting the speaker from the building.
The fun got so out of control that moderator Kate Stith (pictured), a professor of law at the university, was forced to end the event when one student reportedly said, “I’m literally going to fight you bitch.” ‘ to the panelist
The fun got so out of hand that moderator Kate Stith, a professor of law at the university, was forced to end the event when a student told a panelist, “I’m literally going to fight you, bitch.”
Stith warned students during the standoff when the protesting group outnumbered the audience, reminding revelers of Yale’s free speech policy, which forbids any protest that “prevents speakers from being heard and community members from listening.”
In response, the protesters raised their middle finger and continued verbal abuse, prompting the professor to tell them to “grow up”, as shown in the video.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave or help you leave,” Stit told the group, which were getting louder and louder.
Law School Assistant Dean Ellen Cosgrove, who attended the event, did not confront any of the protesters during the recorded protest outbreak, despite their actions violating the school’s free speech policy, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
The panel included conservative Christian Kristen Wagoner (right), who was threatened with “I’ll fight you bitch” among other profanity. Ellen Cosgrove (left), Associate Dean and Dean of Students at Yale University, remains silent on the incident.
She has not yet commented on the incident.
The newspaper reported that two members of the Federalist Society who were present said they were grabbed by the mob as they tried to leave the building.
Meanwhile, the police had to escort Wagoner and his colleague Miller out of the building.
Wagoner’s rival, the progressive Monica Miller of the American Humanist Association, was also escorted out of the building.
Yale Law also noted that school staff arrived on the scene because school policy requires them to assist Wagoner’s guards and another speaker, the progressive Monica Miller of the American Humanist Association.
The presence of these cops further angered a group of woke protesters who said their presence on campus “prevents queer life from flourishing.”
Ellen Cosgrove, Associate Dean and Dean of Students at Yale University, remained silent during the chaotic incident, sparking accusations of academic cowardice.
Yale Law said in a statement that the dean is committed to allowing others to speak freely at the university.
“We allow people to speak, even if their speech is categorically inconsistent with our values.”