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The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is calling on Dartmouth College to rescind $3,600 in security fees imposed on the College Republicans chapter for an online event held earlier this year.
The fees stem from a planned appearance by Andy Ngo, a right-wing provocateur, who was supposed to speak in person at Dartmouth in January at the invitation of the Dartmouth College Republicans. Citing security concerns, Dartmouth urged organizers to move the event online, stating at the time that local police had indicated safety issues for those either attending or protesting the speech.
Now, according to FIRE, Dartmouth will require the College Republicans chapter to pay the $3,600 security fee or be cut off from receiving funds from the university for future programming.
Additionally, FIRE received a letter from local authorities—the Hanover Police Department—stating law enforcement did not make any recommendations to cancel the event for safety reasons.
The letter from Chief of Police Charles B. Dennis noted that while the department relayed “information and concerns” from student organizers, online communities and law enforcement channels that “was credible and caused us concern for the safety” of students and community members, “we were operationally prepared as best we could to handle the event and protest.”
In an email to Inside Higher Ed, a Dartmouth spokesperson affirmed support for “freedom of expression and dissent.” The college noted that student organizations are responsible for event-related security costs, adding that “leaders of the college Republican club were aware of their responsibility for security fees for the event and received an estimate in advance, with enough time to submit a funding request for these costs. They did not request this funding. The club was also aware of the possibility that the event might need to be adjusted to address safety concerns expressed by the organizers themselves.”
Despite running a deficit, Dartmouth noted, the club will carry on with an event scheduled for today, and “students can seek other sources of funding to address their deficit.”
