In lawsuit, student alleges college had problems with ‘blasted’ comment, target practice video
A student is suing her South Carolina college, alleging the institution violated her free speech rights by suspending her for a gun-related social media post.
In the lawsuit, student Leigha Lemoine said Horry-Georgetown Technical College wrongly suspended her in September, The Sun News reports. The two-year public college is based in Conway, South Carolina.
The cosmetology student alleges college administrators began investigating her after a classmate reported a Snapchat post in which Lemoine told someone to “get blasted,” according to the report.
Administrators determined the comment was not threatening after Lemoine told them she had no intentions to harm anyone, the lawsuit states.
However, they later “decided to suspend her after finding an unrelated Instagram post from before she was enrolled where she was firing a handgun,” according to the report.
“In today’s climate, your failure to disclose the existence of the video, in conjunction with group text message on Snapchat where you used the term ‘blasted,’ causes concern about your ability to remain in the current Cosmetology cohort,” the college stated in a letter informing her of her suspension, according to the lawsuit.
Lemoine stated in the lawsuit that the video, which she later deleted, shows her doing target practice at a friend’s home in 2023.
The Sun News reports more:
Nicole Hyman, a spokeswoman for HGTC, wrote in a statement that the college seeks to maintain a safe environment for all of its students, employees and visitors.
“This suit seeks to challenge the manner in which the College has done this,” she wrote. “While the College respects all individuals’ rights, including their rights to freedom of expression, the College’s priority is to ensure the well-being and security of the entire campus community.”
Despite the apparent safety concerns, it’s not clear whether or not HGTC ever contacted law enforcement about Lemoine’s posts. The lawsuit doesn’t mention any police involvement, and Hyman did not confirm any law enforcement contact before publication.
Lemoine, who was receiving financial aid assistance and expected to graduate during Summer 2025, is seeking a court order to immediately lift the suspension and no-trespass order so that she can complete her current courses.
Other students also have accused their schools of punishing them for posting gun-related content on social media, including a Chinese immigrant student at Fordham University.
Additionally, in 2021, the University of Virginia canceled the traditional 21-gun salute portion of its Veterans Day ceremony, citing “gun violence,” The College Fix reported.
MORE: Fordham punishes pro-gun student, questions low free speech score
IMAGE: Stephanie Frey/Shutterstock
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