Prof. Kirtley Quoted in Pioneer Press on Viewpoint-Based Funding to Student Magazine

Professor Jane Kirtley was quoted in a Pioneer Press article about the University of Minnesota's Student Service Fee Committee's attempt to condition funding to an independent student magazine on "culturally sensitive discourse." The committee told the Minnesota Republic that it would monitor the publication to make sure that any material it produced "does not compromise the cultural harmony of the campus." Kirtley pointed out that this "meaningless standard" was viewpoint-based censorship, allowing "completely arbitrary and capricious action...that's not acceptable under the First Amendment." University officials reportedly told the Pioneer Press that the committee did "inappropriately editorialize," and affirmed that funding to the magazine cannot be denied "simply because it advocates a particular opinion, no matter how controversial."