A community college in Tennessee has finally changed its tune regarding the official recognition of pro-life student group Students for Life after being threatened with a lawsuit. The college initially refused to recognize the student group after it filed an application for official recognition back in September.
According to a report by Campus Reform, Motlow State Community College in Tennessee has reversed its decision regarding the official recognition of a pro-life student group. Official recognition is significant because gives student groups access to their institution’s resources and funds.
In a press release, Students for Life explained that the Motlow Community College chapter of the organization was rejected by administrators when it filed for official recognition back in September. After administrators told the students that their club would not be approved for recognition, the group threatened to sue the college for violating their First Amendment rights.
“Motlow Community College in Tennessee originally denied an application by students at the school to start a Students for Life group on campus,” Students for Life wrote in the press release. “After Students for Life of America’s team contacted the school to push back and point out their flawed decision, the school decided to reopen the application and soon after, approved the group.”
Although the college claims that the student group failed to meet the requirements for official recognition, it quickly reversed course when they accused of violating the student’s First Amendment rights.
Tennessee enacted a sweeping free speech on campus law in 2017. According to Breitbart News’ coverage of the law:
The law mandates that public colleges and universities in Tennessee adopt free speech policies consistent with the University of Chicago’s 2015 Stone Report. Chaired by Chicago Law Professor Geoffrey Stone, the report’s findings were adopted last year to great fanfare. Despite his emphasis on campus free speech, Professor Stone is hardly a right-wing ideologue. He clerked with archliberal Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, chaired the Board of the American Constitution Society, a leading left-leaning lawyers’ association, and served on the National Advisory Council of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Breitbart News reported in November that the assistant principal at a high school in Naples, Florida, was threatened with termination over her involvement with a Students for Life chapter at the school.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.