A group of administrators from Trinity University reportedly informed campus conservatives that their invitation to free speech activist Cherise Trump to speak at the institution created an “elevated risk” for “disruption.”
Why? Cherise Trump, who is not at all related to the former president, shares the same last name.
Trump was asked to deliver a speech for the university by the Young Conservatives of Texas, ostensibly because of the work of her organization, Speech First, in defending college students’ rights to free expression.
She is well-known for her First Amendment advocacy — a report by Newsmax posted to Twitter in February of last year featured Trump speaking on a free speech lawsuit filed against the University of Central Florida and Virginia Tech after both parties allegedly limited what emails could be exchanged between students.
"It's a direct attack on the free speech rights of the students." @cherisetrump and @Speech_First has filed a free speech lawsuit against UCF and Virginia Tech claiming the universities restricted what emails could be sent between students. @LeoFeldmanNEWS reports. pic.twitter.com/RG0q2YvRTo
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 9, 2022
Trinity University’s Director of Risk Management Jennifer Adamo cautioned campus conservatives of increased risk because “there is potential for others to mistakenly believe that Cherise Trump is related to Donald Trump,” according to an email posted by the Washington Free Beacon.
The university reportedly urged Trump to acquire liability insurance before her speech on March 3. She ultimately spent $76 for insurance to safeguard her event from student protestors.
“Trinity should be fostering a campus environment that encourages its students to hear differing ideas without turning to mob violence,” Trump said to the Free Beacon. “Not only does this show that the university has little faith in its students’ ability to use the internet, it also coddles and shields students from opposing viewpoints.”
Washington Free Beacon reporter Aaron Sibarium posted online about the university demanding she buys event insurance before coming onto the campus for her planned talk, elaborating on some of the details.
Cherise Trump is the executive director of a free speech group—and is not related to Donald Trump in any way.
But one college is nonetheless demanding that she purchase event insurance before setting foot on campus, citing her name as a security threat. 🧵https://t.co/lb00yDbCQx
— Aaron Sibarium (@aaronsibarium) February 28, 2023
A spokesperson for Trinity essentially shifted the blame for their monetary charge on the students, claiming the request came because Young Conservatives of Texas indicated on its event form that protests are a risk.
In an email sent to the Free Beacon, the student club’s president stated that the group was not urged to buy insurance for other controversial events, covering topics such as critical race theory and immigration.
