MINNEAPOLIS — Conservative groups are suing the University of Minnesota, arguing that the school violated their free speech rights by moving a conservative speaker to its smaller St. Paul campus. Conservative speaker Ben Shapiro is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday asks a federal court to declare the groups’ First Amendment rights were violated and seeks an unspecified amount of money.
Students for a Conservative Voice and the Young America’s Foundation invited Shapiro to speak in February. Shapiro, a former editor-at-large at Breitbart, has been greeted by protesters at events at other campuses.
They wanted to hold the event in a 1,000-seat hall on the main Minneapolis campus. But university officials cited safety concerns and moved the event to a 400-seat ballroom in St. Paul.
The Feb. 25 speech drew a few dozen protesters, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Police blocked off nearby roads to control the crowd.
The groups allege the university has a “Speech Suppression Policy.”
University officials say they are reviewing the lawsuit.
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