Demand for Investigations - YAF at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Subject: Re: Demand for Investigations - Young Americans for Freedom at University of Wisconsin-Madison Dear Mr. Williams and Ms. Lynch, On behalf of Young America’s Foundation and the Young Americans for Freedom Chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I write to demand an update on your investigation into the matters complained of in our October 24 letter. Specifically: 1.

What steps have you taken to investigate the vandalism? Who is responsible for these egregious acts? How was this permitted to occur on public property?

2.

What steps have you taken to investigate your employee’s intentional destruction of YAF’s posters? You have been totally silent on this issue. You failed to address it in your October 25 email, and you failed to make any public statement declaiming Ms. Leeper’s acts. Finally, you failed to offer any support to the YAF students and/or permit the students (victims in this instance) to comment on the wanton and malicious acts against them.

3.

What steps have you taken to ensure university teachers and administrators understand and respect the First Amendment rights of students?

Now, YAF also demands you investigate the widespread malicious destruction of YAF’s posters prior to the Matt Walsh event. In the weeks leading up to the event, nearly all of YAF’s posters were removed, usually within a day of posting. The Chapter expended hundreds of dollars replacing these flyers. A microcosm of this destruction occurred within the law school – a situation the YAF chapter brought to the school’s attention as it was developing. On October 10, university personnel were made aware of a concerted effort to cover up and destroy YAF’s posters within the law school. YAF students followed school flyer policies carefully and totally. Yet, anti-free speech actors continued to remove the flyers.

YAF students received no help from the school. YAF demands you investigate these destructive acts and discipline the actors responsible in accordance with school policies. YAF demands to be informed of the University’s findings within a reasonable and prompt amount of time.

As a public university, you have a constitutional duty to protect student speech and expression. Here, the school has both the responsibility and the opportunity to prove its commitment to the First Amendment. You must no longer allow anti-free speech actors to prevail over the YAF chapter’s right to advertise their events and engage in their chosen, protected expression.

Sincerely, Madison Hahn Staff Attorney Young America’s Foundation 1-800-USA-1776