Temple University: Unconstitutional Security Fee for Geert Wilders Presentation

Case Materials

• "Response to FIRE from Temple University Associate University Counsel Valerie Harrison," April 7, 2010
• "FIRE's Third Letter to Temple University ," March 18, 2010
• "Victory for Free Speech at Temple University As Unconstitutional Security Fee is Withdrawn; Policy Still Troubling," February 11, 2010: Temple University has withdrawn an unconstitutional, after-the-fact security fee levied by the university on a student group for hosting a presentation last October by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who is on trial in his native country for his controversial remarks about terrorism and Islam. Temple dropped its demand for an extra security fee under pressure from FIRE. Temple's policy for controversial events, however, remains ambiguous and unacceptably arbitrary.
• "Second Response to FIRE from Valerie Harrison," February 9, 2010
• "FIRE Second Letter to Temple University President Ann Weaver Hart, January 26, 2010," January 26, 2010
• "Temple University Associate Counsel Valerie Harrison Response to FIRE, January 21, 2010," January 21, 2010
• "Temple University Charges Unconstitutional ‘Security’ Fee for Geert Wilders Event; Dutch Trial Begins Today over Controversial Expression," January 20, 2010: Dutch politician Geert Wilders' trial begins today in Amsterdam over his controversial remarks about terrorism and Islam. While such a trial would be unconstitutional in the United States thanks to the First Amendment, students at Temple University in Philadelphia are nevertheless facing an unconstitutional, after-the-fact security fee levied by the university for hosting a presentation by Wilders. The student group, Temple University Purpose (TUP), has turned to FIRE for help.
• "FIRE Letter to Temple University President Ann Weaver Hart, January 4, 2010," January 4, 2010
• "Temple University 'Programming Tips' Policy, 2009-2010," December 31, 2009
• "Temple University Wilders Event E-mails, December 2009," December 3, 2009

Blog Entries

• "Temple Student Government Backs Down from Discriminatory Funding Policy," by Adam Kissel, September 21, 2010: Temple University's student government has backed down from a viewpoint-discriminatory funding policy for student events. The student government had told student organizations that speakers who are "offensive"—or not "inclusive" and "friendly"—would not be funded. A student government leader also stated that the new rule would "not be found in any documents, but will be enforced by the [allocations] committee." Less than 24 hours after the student group Temple University Purpose challenged the policy with FIRE's help, the policy was rescinded.
• "Temple University Chills Expression in the Wake of Geert Wilders Event," by Adam Kissel, April 12, 2010: Temple University's irreconcilable actions regarding a student group that brought Dutch politician Geert Wilders to campus have left students utterly in the dark about what Temple will do the next time a controversial speaker comes to campus. Temple unconstitutionally charged the group for extra security after the event, but after FIRE intervened, Temple claimed that it could have charged the group thousands of dollars more. Temple arbitrarily offered to withdraw the extra fee, then unilaterally withdrew it. In its latest letter, Temple merely states that the matter is closed and makes no promise to ensure that controversial but protected speech is not silenced on campus. These actions chill speech at Temple because groups will not want to risk being charged thousands of dollars in fees for similar events.
• "Victory for Free Speech at Temple University As Unconstitutional Security Fee is Withdrawn; Policy Still Troubling," by Adam Kissel, February 11, 2010
• "Temple's First Amendment Problems Are Nothing New--And One Student Is Still Paying the Price," by William Creeley, January 27, 2010
• "Temple Misunderstands First Amendment Obligations, Continues to Seek Extra Security Fee from Student Group," by Peter Bonilla, January 27, 2010
• "Temple University Case on CPNLive," by Adam Kissel, January 22, 2010
• "Temple University Charges Unconstitutional Security Fee for Geert Wilders Event; Dutch Trial Today over Controversial Expression," by Adam Kissel, January 20, 2010

Media Coverage

• "Temple waives security fee for Islam critic's speech,"
  by Susan Snyder, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 12, 2010
• "Temple University tacks on last-minute fee for free speech event,"
  by J. Peter Freire, Washington Examiner, January 20, 2010