The College Fix

Another university president seems to be laying the groundwork for punishing a fraternity member for what he said.

The University of Maryland is reeling from an “offensive email” sent more than a year ago by a Kappa Sigma member but only forwarded to the administration on Tuesday, no doubt for maximum impact, The Diamondback reports:

The fraternity member allegedly wrote the email during last year’s spring rush period, addressing Kappa Sigma members and telling them — through the use of various racial slurs — to avoid inviting black, Indian and Asian women to their rush parties.

The student also alluded to sexual assault, writing “f— consent.” …

After learning of the email, the fraternity immediately suspended the member, who subsequently submitted a letter of resignation, according to a statement released this morning by the national Kappa Sigma chapter in response to the email.

Elite Daily has a screenshot of the email, including the sender’s name, “AJ Hurwitz.” It’s a piece of work.

President Wallace Loh wrote in a statement yesterday that the school “immediately met with the individual involved” when it learned of the email, “and a University investigation is currently underway, led by the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct.”

Loh conducted a Twitter chat this afternoon in response to the uproar – you can see some of the questions (and many more pitchforks-in-the-air statements) using the hashtag #LohChat – and said some troubling things himself.

It starts promising…

A president, I will of course ensure due process and protect the free speech guaranteed by our Constitution.

— Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

It is one of our nation’s core values that the government should not be able to tell us what we can and cannot say.

— Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

 

 

Then goes downhill.  

And quite honestly, I am struggling with justifying this email as free speech. — Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

It has hurt and offended members of our campus family. Including me. — Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

Where does free speech and hate speech collide? What should prevail?

— Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

What justification can we have that tacitly condones this kind of hate?

— Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

Loh then pulls out this tired trope…

.@DCAbloob That is the core issue. When does speech incite violence? Is this like yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded theater? #LohChat

— Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) March 13, 2015

Which provokes a useful rejoinder from Ari Cohn at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education:

.@presidentloh @DCAbloob Just FYI, it has to incite *imminent* lawless action. That one might later read & do something is not enough.

— Ari Cohn (@AriCohn) March 13, 2015

.@presidentloh@DCAbloob And please, for the love of god stop using the “crowded theater” trope. See https://t.co/vT4xc12kUm@Popehat

— Ari Cohn (@AriCohn) March 13, 2015

 

Read the full Diamondback story, and search #LohChat if you want to be depressed about the future leaders of America.

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