(Cincinnati, Oh.) - An appearance set for later this year on the University of Cincinnati campus by white nationalist Richard Spencer is turning litigious because the school wants him to pay for security at his event.
Spencer's campus tour organizer is suing the University of Cincinnati's president, saying the school wouldn't rent space for Spencer to speak on campus unless a nearly $11,000 security fee was paid.
An attorney for Spencer and the organizer says requiring such payment because a speaker is controversial or prompts hostile reaction is discriminatory. They call it an unconstitutional speech tax.
They have now gone to federal court to force the school to drop the charge.
UC has released a statement saying:
"As a state institution, and as a matter of principle, we adhere to the foundational rights embedded in the First Amendment. This includes protecting the right to free speech. We have stood by this principle all along and will continue to do so. However, Spencer was not invited or sponsored by any member of the university community, and like other non-sponsored speakers, he must pay a fee to rent university space. This includes a security fee. The fee assessed is a mere fraction of the costs we anticipate incurring as a result of this event, but we hold firm in our efforts to respect the principles of free speech while maintaining safety on campus.
The university will work with its legal team to review the complaint and respond in court accordingly."