Federal judge issues a preliminary injunction against the University of New Mexico after it tried to charge Turning Point USA and Riley Gaines a security fee for her event
The University of New Mexico is temporarily stopped from imposing a $5,384.75 security fee on its Turning Point USA chapter for hosting Riley Gaines, a federal judge ruled recently.
The ruling stems from the public university’s fee charge for an event last October involving the women’s sports activist and a subsequent lawsuit from Southeastern Legal Foundation.
District Judge David Urias ruled that the university must stop all security fees for “speech events,” as part of his ruling on Thursday. “Defendants are enjoined from enforcing the security fee policy vis-à-vis speech events and the collection of payment for security fees related to the Gaines event,” Urias wrote. The prohibition does not relying to sporting events.
Gaines praised the ruling in a statement sent via the Southeastern Legal Foundation.
The former University of Kentucky swimmer stated:
Sadly, we see this all the time. Conservative student voices are silenced on campus through excessive fees blamed on security, like in this case, or other red tape that makes it harder for conservative students to use their voice on campus. Colleges and universities should be a place of critical thinking where different ideas are welcomed and encouraged. They should not be a place of political discrimination and suppression of First Amendment rights, like in this case. We are very grateful that the court granted this injunction and saw the irreparable harm that would come if these high fees were applied to our event.
Turning Point USA’s chapter co-president Jonathan Gonzales said he was “thankful” for the ruling, according to comments provided by the legal foundation.
“The court clearly sees the double standard of UNM behind giving a $10,000 fee to our event and yet previously allowing a drag show to take place on campus with no security fee at all,” Gonzales stated.
Southeastern Legal’s Executive Director Kimberly Hermann called a “major win” for the First Amendment on college campuses.
The university initially assessed a $10,000 security fee but reduced it. It ended up sending officers home due to a lack of conflict at the event.
Police Lieutenant Timothy Stump told the Turning Point USA group he has no “criteria” for determining security fees, but does it based on the “individual” speaker, as previously reported by The College Fix.
The security analysis is largely self-referential, as Stump used past security fees levied against TPUSA in his determination.
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IMAGE: Independent Women’s Forum/Twitter
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