UNC Denies Request from ‘Alt-Right’ Leader Richard Spencer to Speak on Campus

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt has denied a request to speak on the Chapel Hill campus from leader of the so-called alt-right Richard Spencer.

Folt made her decision public in a letter to the campus community on Wednesday afternoon.

Folt wrote that she was denying the request from Spencer’s National Policy Institute because of “serious concerns about campus safety.” Speeches from Spencer and others sharing a similar message have led to protests, which has sometimes resulted in violence, in recent months. The focus on Spencer and similar individuals and organizations has intensified after the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month where a counter protester was killed.

Folt’s decision came after the chancellor consulted with UNC Police and other law enforcement agencies “who have thoroughly assessed the risks such an event could bring to Carolina,” according to Wednesday’s letter. “Our basis for this decision is the safety and security of the campus community – we are not willing to risk anyone’s safety in light of these known risks.”

Protesters have continued calling for the removal of Confederate monument Silent Sam since the Charlottesville rally. Students have maintained a presence at the statue since a rally on the first day of classes last week. Folt has said she would remove the statue if it was determined to be a public safety risk, but has maintained she does not feel the university has unilateral legal authority to make that decision at this time.

“I am deeply saddened and disturbed that the violent and virulent rhetoric being espoused by extremist groups has jeopardized the ability of campuses to promote robust dialogue and debate about important issues while ensuring public safety,” Folt writes in Wednesday’s letter.

The chancellor said in the correspondence that engaging in constructive conversation was one way to move forward, adding that the first of this year’s “Carolina Conversations” will be held on September 6 and focus on a program called “The First Amendment and Free Speech at UNC.”