BERKELEY, CA (CelebrityAccess) — In the wake of conservative author Ann Coulter's off-again, on-again appearance at the University of California, Berkeley, a pair of conservative groups has filed a federal lawsuit against, alleging that school tried “to restrict conservative speech” on campus.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit, filed on Monday in Federal District Court in San Francisco, was brought by the Berkeley College Republicans and the Young America’s Foundation, a group that advocates for conservative causes and is part of the network of the State Policy Network, funded in part by David and Charles Koch.
“Berkeley promises its students an environment that promotes free debate and the free exchange of ideas,” the lawsuit said, alleging a 'breach of promise “through the repressive actions of university administrators and campus police.”
Coulter had originally been invited to speak by a group of college republicans, but the University announced last week that they were postponing the event due to security concerns after alleged threats by anarchist/anti-fascist groups. The Berkeley campus has become ground zero in ideological conflicts between right wing provocateurs and alt-right supporters and so-called 'antifa' groups protesting perceived fascism.
The University has maintained that Coulter, who has been a provocative commentator on the right for more than 2 decades, was welcome on the campus, but, “at a time when we can provide a venue that law enforcement professionals believe to be protectable,” a spokesman for the university, Dan Mogulof, said.
The lawsuit acknowledges the University's attempt at accommodating Coulter, but said accused it of being "unreasonably restrictive" for high profile conservatives. A recent appearance by former Brietbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos was canceled in February after violent clashes broke out between protestors and fans ahead of his address. – Staff Writers
