At a Christian U, Free Speech suppression

Conservative student punished for political views expressed on social media

Texas Christian University has effectively suspended 19-year-old student Harry Vincent for doing nothing more than exercising his First Amendment right to free speech on Twitter.

After a series of derogatory tweets (which he posted while in high school) were packaged by a former middle school foe and brought to TCU’s attention on the social media platform Tumblr last April, Vincent found himself on the wrong side of school regulations.

Vincent, a sophomore at the Fort Worth-based university, apparently violated two Student Code of Conduct provisions concerning “infliction of bodily or emotional harm” and “disorderly conduct,” according to TCU. The series of tweets were posted during a six-month span during his days as a high school student.

“These hoodrat criminals in Baltimore need to be shipped off and exiled to the sahara desert (sic). Maybe then they’ll realize how much we provide for them (welfare, college tuition, obama’s phone’s, medicare, etc.),” read one tweet.

Several others referenced ISIS and the Mexican population, whom he called “beaners.”

Public colleges have to tread carefully lest they violate a student’s First Amendment rights, but this is not the case with private colleges. They have more latitude when it comes to disciplinary measures.

The 19-year-old told Vincent LifeZette he is puzzled at the one-sidedness of the free speech issue as it affects conservatives.

Vincent, a conservative, staunchly defends even the rights of the young woman who turned his tweets over to his college.

“She has said some vile things that make me very angry,” he told LifeZette. “But I would never give you her name, or take away her right to say those things.”

Vincent cannot attend football games, cannot participate in campus activities, and had to quit his fraternity. The initial email from the dean that alerted Vincent to a potential issue came during finals week last semester and stated no reason for a requested meeting.

“It’s so ironic,” Vincent said. “I am treated this way at a Christian college. They say they want to prepare future leaders, but it sounds more like they will discard a future leader if he or she doesn’t fall in line with the progressive, ‘PC’ crowd.

“I am willing to learn from my mistakes, and I have said I am sorry,” he added. “But do they have to go to these lengths to try to keep my views silenced?”

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