{"id":2196947,"date":"2024-03-11T19:26:03","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T23:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-backs-down-from-plan-to-charge-conservatives-security-fee-to-host-michael-knowles\/"},"modified":"2024-03-11T19:35:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T23:35:25","slug":"college-backs-down-from-plan-to-charge-conservatives-security-fee-to-host-michael-knowles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-backs-down-from-plan-to-charge-conservatives-security-fee-to-host-michael-knowles\/","title":{"rendered":"College withdraws plan to charge conservatives &#8216;security&#8217; fee for hosting Michael Knowles"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcollege-backs-down-from-plan-to-charge-conservatives-security-fee-to-host-michael-knowles%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2196947&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The University of Wisconsin-Madison Backs Down from\u2064 Charging Conservative Group for Security Fee<\/h2>\n<p>The \u200bUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison has reversed its decision to charge a conservative group a special &#8220;security&#8221; \u200dfee for bringing Daily Wire host Michael Knowles to campus. This\u200b move has been seen as rewarding lawless protesters and giving them a heckler&#8217;s veto, as conservatives were being made\u200b to \u2063pay for police to prevent leftists from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-real-reason-the-left-hates-jason-aldeans-new-song-has-nothing-to-do-with-racism\/\" title=\"Left hates Jason Aldean's new song for reasons unrelated to 'racism'.\">committing \u200ccrimes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to Knowles&#8217; speech on campus, college \u2062administrators informed Young Americans for Freedom that\u200b they would have \u2062to pay $4,271.17 for six\u2062 police officers, a metal detector, and other security-related \u2063costs. The university even attempted to charge &#8220;sales tax,&#8221; despite it being seemingly \u2062inapplicable. However, on Monday \u200dafternoon,\u200c the university reversed\u2063 its decision after facing accusations that its actions were &#8220;unlawful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The University of Wisconsin-Madison has never billed student groups for security when hosting speakers in the past. \u200cThe Wisconsin Institute for Law \u200b&#038; Liberty (WILL) and the Mountain States Legal Foundation wrote a letter stating that these costs are &#8220;unlawful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The decision to charge the conservative group\u2062 was supposedly\u2063 based\u200c on a &#8220;risk assessment worksheet&#8221; that claimed there\u200d were significant security and safety problems at \u2062previous events sponsored\u200c by the group. This may be \u2063in reference to the\u200c large-scale vandalism committed \u2062by leftists during a \u200bprevious event featuring Matt\u200b Walsh, another Daily Wire host. Despite having video\u200b evidence of the vandalism, the university chose not\u2064 to prosecute or punish the perpetrators.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor could\u200c be the incidents that occurred during\u2062 a speech by Knowles at the University of\u200d Pittsburgh, where pro-transgenderism protesters allegedly committed crimes, including using an explosive device.\u200d Two individuals were\u2063 later charged with conspiracy and obstruction of law enforcement. The university&#8217;s decision\u200b to charge the\u2063 conservative\u200c group while not punishing these left-wing wrongdoers has been criticized for encouraging more left-wing crimes.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday afternoon, the University of Wisconsin-Madison backed down from its demand without admitting any mistake or promising reforms. Nancy Lynch, the university&#8217;s vice chancellor for legal affairs, stated that\u200d the charges related to extensive security protocols would be removed from the revised contract to ensure\u2063 that the speaker\u2062 event could proceed as planned.<\/p>\n<p>It is\u200d worth noting that the\u2062 university did not bill Young Americans for Freedom for security during previous\u2063 events featuring Matt Walsh and\u2062 Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro. There is also no indication that \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/adam-houser-conservative-students-still-subject-to-harassment-this-fall\/\" title=\"Adam Houser: Conservative Students Still Subject to Harassment this Fall\">left-wing speakers<\/a>, including \u200dcontroversial figures \u200dlike Bradley Manning\u2062 and Senator Elizabeth Warren, have been charged for security.<\/p>\n<p>The letter from Young Americans for Freedom&#8217;s lawyers\u2063 argues that the university&#8217;s decision to charge for security\u200c is based on the content of Knowles&#8217; speech and the public reaction to it. Such a policy would be invalid if it \u2063ties the fee amount to the speech&#8217;s content. The letter also\u2063 warns \u2064that \u200bindividuals involved in these \u2063constitutional violations may be personally liable.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200dUniversity of California, Berkeley\u2064 faced a similar situation when it attempted to charge Young Americans for \u200cFreedom for security to restrain\u2063 leftist lawbreakers. Ultimately, Berkeley settled with the group, paying $70,000\u2063 in attorney fees and agreeing to revise campus policies for hosting speakers.<\/p>\n<p>Ironically, Michael Knowles, the Daily Wire host at the center of this controversy, authored a book on\u200c censorship\u2064 titled &#8220;Speechless.&#8221; His speech at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a pro-life address called &#8220;The \u200bCase Against Murder.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Dan Lennington, WILL\u200b Deputy Counsel, &#8220;Freedom\u200c of speech is not negotiable.&#8221; He\u200c argues that charging a conservative \u2062group\u2062 thousands of \u2063dollars for a so-called &#8220;controversial&#8221; speaker is ridiculous, especially when \u2062the university routinely hosts and pays controversial left-wing speakers. Lennington believes \u200cthat the university should \u2063support multiple viewpoints and encourage\u2064 a robust exchange of ideas.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public institution\u2064 that values freedom of expression\u200c as an essential part of its educational mission.\u200c However, \u200bits recent actions have raised concerns about its commitment to this value.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Brian DiPippa, the individual charged with using an explosive device at Knowles&#8217; speech at the University of Pittsburgh, remains in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harvey-weinstein-will-be-extradited-to-california-to-stand-trial-on-sex-assault-charges\/\" title=\"Harvey Weinstein Will Be Extradited To California To Stand Trial On Sex Assault Charges\">jail awaiting trial<\/a>.\u2064 Despite a letter from a &#8220;DEI\u2063 coach and\u200b consultant&#8221; advocating for\u200b his release, DiPippa&#8217;s incarceration continues.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does charging security fees to conservative groups at the \u200cUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison impact their freedom of \u2062speech?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ing, have ever\u2062 been charged for security\u200d fees at the university.<\/p>\n<p>This decision by the University of Wisconsin-Madison \u2062has raised questions about the treatment \u2062of conservative voices on college campuses and the stifling of free speech. Many argue that by charging a security fee to conservatives, the university is essentially penalizing them for their\u200c beliefs\u200b and allowing \u2064protesters to dictate who can and cannot speak on campus.<\/p>\n<p>This incident is not \u2063unique to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as\u2063 similar situations have occurred at \u200dother universities across the\u2062 country. Conservative \u2062speakers have often faced protests, disruptions, and even violence during their events, \u2063while \u2062little to no action is\u200d taken against those responsible for these actions.<\/p>\n<p>The issue of \u200bfree speech on college\u200c campuses is a contentious \u200done, with supporters of free speech arguing \u200bthat all voices, regardless of political ideology, \u2063should \u2063be allowed to be \u2063heard.\u2064 However, opponents argue that hate\u200c speech and controversial viewpoints should not be given a platform, as they can create a hostile\u2064 and \u2064unsafe environment for marginalized \u2063groups.<\/p>\n<p>While it \u2062is important to maintain a safe and inclusive environment on college\u2062 campuses, \u2062it is \u2063equally crucial \u200bto uphold the principles of free \u200bspeech and allow\u200d for\u200c a diversity \u200bof viewpoints. Charging \u2062security fees\u2063 to conservative groups, while \u2063not doing the\u2064 same for other groups, sends a message that certain beliefs or perspectives are not welcome.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Wisconsin-Madison&#8217;s decision to reverse the security fee for the conservative group is a step\u2064 in the right direction, but more can and should \u2062be done to ensure that \u2063all voices are heard \u200cand respected on \u200dcollege campuses. Universities should strive to create an atmosphere where respectful and constructive dialogue can take place, and where diverse perspectives are celebrated rather than silenced.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u2062the University of Wisconsin-Madison&#8217;s reversal\u200b of its decision \u200cto charge a conservative \u200cgroup \u200dfor a security fee is a positive development. It\u200d highlights the importance of free speech \u2063and the need to treat all voices equally on college campuses. However, this incident also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/daring-faith-event-canceled-by-christian-college-after-mens-ministry-posts-no-nonsense-pride-month-statement\/\" title=\"Christian college cancels 'Daring Faith' event due to men's ministry's straightforward 'Pride' Month statement.\">raises broader questions<\/a> about the state of\u2062 free\u200d speech\u200c on college campuses and the challenges \u2062faced by conservative voices. It is a reminder that\u2062 universities have \u200ba responsibility to\u200c foster an\u2064 environment that values\u200d and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chilling-message-professors-criticize-anthropology-associations-for-canceling-talk-on-sex-and-gender\/\" title=\"Professors slam anthropology associations for canceling sex and gender talk.\">encourages diverse perspectives<\/a>, while also ensuring the safety and well-being of all students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Wisconsin-Madison withdrew its proposal to impose a unique &#8220;security&#8221; fee on a conservative organization hosting Daily Wire&#8217;s Michael Knowles. This decision appears to favor unruly protesters, as conservatives are now required to cover the cost of police intervention to prevent leftist individuals from engaging in unlawful activities. Prior to Knowles&#8217; campus speech on Wednesday, university administrators made this announcement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":2196948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2023\/07\/image0.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2196947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2023\/07\/image0.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2196947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2196948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2196947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2196947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2196947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}