GUILLETTE: An Incident At A Texas University Proves No College Campus Is Safe

On Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a ceremonial bill signing to commemorate the ‘Save Women’s Sports Act.’ This legislation aims to create safe space for women, protect women’s sports, and advance women’s rights. Feminists rejoice – right? 

Bafflingly, supporting the rights of biological women is apparently no longer politically correct. Following the ceremonial bill signing, radical protesters came out in droves to harass, assault, and intimidate supporters of the bill. 

Monday’s event was hosted at the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame at Texas Woman’s University, which describes itself as “the nation’s largest university system focused on women.” It should have been a joyous occasion, centered around celebrating women and women’s sports.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Governor Abbott was joined by 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines and a group of other women and young girls to celebrate the bill signing. On their way out, the women and children were confronted by an estimated 250 protesters who spat on, insulted and threatened them.

This is far from the first time Ms. Gaines has been assaulted by a radical mob on a university campus. In April, she was attacked by protesters after she spoke at an event hosted by San Francisco State University (SFSU). When I visited the campus and interviewed SFSU students following the violent protests, they showed no remorse. Instead, students celebrated the assault of Riley Gaines and callously mocked her.

Campus faculty in both instances failed to protect Riley Gaines and they failed to protect free speech. Following the incident at SFSU, Accuracy in Media immediately deployed mobile billboards to hold key student leaders accountable for their inexcusable behavior. We also held students and faculty at Stanford Law School accountable when they aggressively shouted down Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan on campus, who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

While college campuses were once a bastion of free speech and the exchange of ideas, intellectual debate and ideological differences are no longer welcome. Instead of protecting free speech and encouraging healthy debate, college administrators have allowed–and in some cases, actively encouraged–radical activists to run amok, threaten and silence speakers, and disrupt any activities they disagree with. 

Increasingly, it seems that universities and their faculties believe only in protecting speech that aligns with their ideological agenda. This sets a dangerous precedent for a society that supposedly values free expression and association. 

These institutions of higher education have shown us time and again that they have no intention of holding themselves accountable. Organizations dedicated to accountability have been fighting this battle ineffectively for at least 50 years, and as a result, the grim reality is that professors and administrators are rarely punished – much less fired – for their misconduct. Even when they are, they’re simply replaced by someone just as extreme, but also savvy enough to fly under the radar.

The only way to end the madness on college campuses nationwide is to ensure that both students and administrators who employ radical tactics and violence to silence their opponents are appropriately penalized. In the case of TWU, school administrations must take steps to implement a zero-tolerance policy for violence, reprimand bad behavior, and create an environment welcoming of intellectual debate. 

When people use fascist bullying tactics, they must be held accountable. When women are attacked on campus, the perpetrators must be disciplined. Members of the Texas Woman’s University Board of Regents should immediately condemn the violent bullies who spat on, insulted, and threatened women on their campus, as well as ensure proper measures are put in place to protect women in the future. Censorship and violence should never be tolerated.  

Adam Guillette is the President of Accuracy in Media. As the leader of the organization, he is working to expose bias in mainstream and social media, as well as to build an effective cadre of investigative journalists. Follow him on Twitter at @adamguillette.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.