Davidson College authorities are considering punitive actions against a liberal student who distributed a book supporting Israel and posting about the female debate surrounding an Olympic athlete.
The leader of Young Americans for Freedom at Davidson College recently learned that her distribution of pro-Israel materials on college was a First Amendment rights violation, which has sparked a debate among peers. She has since received death threats from peers for criticizing pregnancy.
The Director of Rights & Responsibilities sent a letter to President Cynthia Huang on February 28 suggesting that the traditional student organization she leads harassed peers.
It cites their publication of a book titled” Five Tales About Israel Perpetrated by the Pro-Hamas Left” from last fall. It asserts that there has never been a Palestinian state and that Palestinians are never a different people.
Also, the school’s letter mentions Olympic athlete Imane Khelif’s controversial gender in a YAF Instagram article.
In an interview with The College Fix, Huang claimed,” The idea of abuse I did not understand.”
At the end of the day, it’s really completely conversation. Just because something you disagree with don’t think it shouldn’t be expressed. Having diverse perspectives across the political spectrum is essential for developing critical thinking skills.
Huang claimed she was not compelled to read the book, but rather that she had just displayed it across school, giving students the option to pick it up or no.
The College Fix contacted Davidson College for comment, but the university did not respond.
In the administrative letter, Mak Tompkins, Davidson’s chairman of student rights and responsibilities, stated that the accusations were examples of misbehavior because they allegedly contain “misinformation” and may develop Islamophobia and stigmatization.
Tompkins wrote that some students felt” threatened and unsafe on campus” as a result of the materials, even though her virtual bio specifies that she uses the pronoun” she/they” in her net bio.
Huang had the choice between accepting responsibility and roiling her right to file an appeal under the terms of Davidson’s text and submitting a letter to the Code of Responsibility Council.
Huang disputed the allegations.
Anything could be considered harassment because the language in the email was so ambiguous, Huang said.
She claimed she is unsure as to why her class delayed sending the letter until Feb. 28 because Huang distributed the papers in October.
Although I was aware that some people were upset about it, Huang said,” I thought it was interesting that they went to the management and called it harassment.”
Huang also made reference to the fact that she has been subject to death challenges for supporting the pro-life place on campus in an op-ed for YAF.
According to what I’ve seen first-hand, Davidson’s commitment to free speech merely applies to those with whom the school is in agreement. For instance, Davidson College did not take any action when I wrote an view part outlining my pro-life beliefs during the fall semester and received death threats from my fellow classmates.
She informed the Director of Right & Tasks that she was aware of such events during our meeting, making things even worse. It seems strange to me that she was aware of my circumstances and didn’t try to intervene, she continued, despite the fact that she acknowledged that she was friendly and would be happy to talk with me about my concerns.
She appeared to be more worried about students who felt” threatened and illegal” by literature that didn’t targeted people but only contained facts.
The institution has been criticized by the Free Speech and Expression organization Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, who claim that its answer violates its own free speech guidelines.
Hearth on X:” Distributing political papers is key protected talk, but at @DavidsonCollege the YAF chapter is facing charges for allegedly spreading” propaganda and”promoting Islamophobia” for sharing the book pictured above.
Political pamphlet distribution is fundamentally protected speech, but the YAF chapter at @DavidsonCollege is accused of” spreading” misinformation and “promoting Islamophobia” for sharing the pamphlet pictured below. pic. twitter.com/Cu8CVtvAjB
— FIRE (@TheFIREorg ) March 5, 2025
In a news release, FIRE attorney Jessie Appleby urged” critics of YAF’s arguments to respond with more speech in the marketplace of ideas” as opposed to attempting to censor their ideological opponents.
Davidson administrators capitulated to student complainants and are now trying to suppress the chapter’s views, regrettably. A private college that guarantees its students the right to free speech should protect the pamphlet and Instagram post, just like the First Amendment does.
FIRE requests that Davidson officials stop the investigation and impose any disciplinary measures against its YAF chapter in recognition of its commitment to free speech.
Huang told The Fix that she has not heard from campus leaders regarding her potential punishment.
I want YAF and all other conservative students and groups to be treated the same, Huang said at the end of the day.
MORE: Davidson College compels athletes to watch “only whites are racist” video.
YAF student pictured in front of the image of Davidson College, courtesy of the photo and the YouTube screenshot.
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