Judge: UNM can no longer discriminate against conservative speakers

As we discussed in an October 2023 post, when conservative speakers came to speak at University of New Mexico they or their sponsoring organizations were often slapped with thousands of dollars in security fees. Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines who came to campus in 2023 is one such speaker.

Now, thankfully, a judge has ruled that such fees are unconstitutional. Why is that?

The University had been applying the fees because extra security was needed for those speakers who do not appeal to the left wing views of most administrators and students at UNM. So, the fees were needed to pay for additional security. But, that is essentially allowing the “mob” to veto potential speakers through their threats of violence.

So, this decision is good news for free speech. UNM has indicated they won’t appeal the decision.