There is a disturbing free speech controversy at Lincoln Memorial University’s College of Veterinary Medicine after the school accused student Erin Lintag of violating the school’s code of conduct by telling President Donald Trump supporters to “unfollow” her. It is a direct assault on free speech and should be immediately withdrawn with a commitment to prevent such actions in the future.
“If you are my classmate and you voted for trump or support his ideals unfollow me. We will still be civil because we have to be, but you dont need me as a friend and I don’t need you.”
“Another reminder: Trump, Musk, RFK, & etc supporters will get the cold shoulder but if we have to fake it for our grade then we will. But otherwise, UNFOLLOW ME. QUICKLYYYYYYYY[.]”
Those were statements made on a private account off campus on a political issue. They should have been clearly outside the realm of school regulations and the conduct code.
Nevertheless, on January 28, the LMU-CVM Student Affairs Office notified Lintag that she was under investigation for possible violations of the Ethics and Honor Code of Conduct for a “Political social media post where ‘classmates’ were called out[.]”
Three days later at a meeting with the student, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions Elizabeth Devine charged Lintag with “Posting Instagram posts that were targeted at her ‘classmates.’” Lintag was given only 48 hours to accept or refuse responsibility.
By accepting responsibility, Lintag was told that she would be given an order to write a two-page paper “on the dangers of social media and how it poses risks of cyberbullying, privacy issues and mental health effects on others.” However, if she dared to contest the sanction, she would face a harsher penalty.
She relented and admitted guilt.
The university was wrong in launching this action and wrong in the heavy-handed treatment of the student. Even if this were a valid matter of investigation, there is no cognizable reason for a university to give a student just two days to make a decision or face severe penalties.
Lintag has every right to oppose President Trump and, while I disagree with her excluding those with opposing views, she has a right to limit her circle of friends and associates. It would certainly make for a better campus environment if students were more accepting of others with different political views. I get that. However, if Lintag wants to create her own echo chamber with like-minded people, she has every right to do so.
Lincoln Memorial University should apologize and guarantee that, in the future, the free speech rights of its students and faculty will be afforded greater protection.
School is stupid, student is worse.
the left always projects
But what does the right do? Not project?
This falls firmly under the standard that, “I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.”
It’s highly unusual to hear a leftist support that position. Most conservatives subscribe to it but, sadly, it doesn’t seem as universal as it once was. The specific message is not nearly as important as the ability to present it: Even and especially if I disagree with it or find it abhorrent. Unless it’s truly inciteful, illegal, or “fire” in a crowded theater, this young lady should be free to say what she wishes. This courtesy is rarely offered by leftist’s. It should be the default for all sides.
Jonathan
Why do all these sniveling libturds think this is the place (a legal blog) to come to whine about how Trump haunts their dreams??
Trump is fat.
Trump sells watches,
Trumps selling sneakers now.
Trump fvcked a porn star.
Trump smells bad.
Trump insulted shit hole countries.
Do they not see how pathetic they look? Whiney little kunts. Get a life.
Trump has granted tariff exemptions the following imports from China.
smart phones,
computers,
televisions,
semiconductors,
any machines used to manufacture semiconductors,
solar cells,
memory cards,
hard drives,
scanners,
printed circuits,
modems,
routers,
monitors,
diodes,
transistors,
thyristors,
diacs,
triacs,
transducers,
integrated circuits,
LED’s
RAM units,
EEPROM units,
And pretty much any other electronic components.
So basically, we now collect tariffs on everything imported from China, EXCEPT for the things we import from China.
This entire fiasco with tariffs is really just a self-enrichment scheme for Trump and his cronies.
In the 20 minutes before his big announcement of a 90 day pause a huge number of suspicious zeroday expiration option calls for SPY, QQQ, and TQQQ were opened with an expiration date on the same day. With the surge in the market, those options increased in value by 2,100%.
One trader turned a $100,000 bet into $21 million.
https://www.ainvest.com/news/wtf-option-bets-surge-trump-tweet-2504/
This latest announcement of exemptions will be of the greatest benefit to Apple.
In the hours before the announcement a huge number of equally suspicious call options were opened for AAPL. They will probably create tens of millions of dollars in profits, and possibly billions of dollars.
https://www.dataandpolitics.net/173-returns-on-insider-information-white-house-insiders-made-billions-yesterday-on-aapl-shares/
Shortly after pausing tariffs on most countries for 90 days, President Donald Trump held an Oval Office meeting where he congratulated two friends on how much money they had made that day. The stock market had skyrocketed following Trump’s tariff pause announcement. Trump said that it was “not bad” that one guy made “$2 1/2 billion” and the other “$900 million.”
People on the inside of Trump’s administration are making out like bandits.
This entire tariffs thing is looking more and more like a massive scam to manipulate the markets and walk away with billions of dollars.
Nancy Pelosi must be pissed. In 2023 she made only $30 million. I’m sure she’s going to try to upstage Trump. Independent Bob.
Just put your computer on it, anon. Have it buy and sell at half penny gains over and over.
My lawn sprinkler is made in China. Had to replace it 3x.
crybaby loser ^^^
Trump’s physical exam report says he is 6’3” and 224 lbs.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City quarterback: 6’2” and 225 lbs.
Tom Brady: 6’4” and 224 lbs
Cal Ripken Jr.: 6’4” and 225 lbs
John Elway: 6’3” and 215 lbs.
Dan Marino: 6’$’ and 227 lbs
Terry Bradshaw: 6’3” and 218 lbs
Alex Rodriguez: 6’3” and 230 lbs
Trump is in great company !!!!
What a joke.
This report is a total work of fiction.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I strongly disagree.
I always thought his Adonis like physique and overall appearance would allow him to pass as Tom Brady’s twin brother.
#. There’s a big difference between fat and muscle. Muscle weighs more.
Ridiculous comment, anon.
So you agree that Trump is a fat pig.
Oink, oink!!!
That “defense” is not quite what you think it is.
Thanks for helping me make my point.
Fat pig? No, just an old guy who likes 2 scoops of ice cream.
who gives a shit if he’s fat?? is that suppose to bother anyone here? You’re point was that Trump is fat????
You seriously need to get a life, lawn boy
A
Trump is way heavier than 224lbs.
who cares????
This column is very odd since it involves some weird college and a student privately expressing its political view. This is in stark contrast with how Turley ignores far more serious attacks on free speech from our own government, namely Trump’s. Foreign students are being silenced by threatening their visa status and using their social media opinions and expressions to invoke revocations of visas because the Trump administration doesn’t like what they are saying. Turley has remained pretty quiet about that.
This college seems more concerned about what it can happen if it doesn’t punish this student for being anti-Trump. We have all seen how other schools have been punished or threatened with withholding of federal funds because schools don’t clamp down on students who express unfavorabel views or express direct criticism of Trump and his adminstration or any criticism of Israel.
Turley’s focus on trivial one off instances from weird colleges and situations makes for nifty distractions from more serious issues. Clearly Turley is loath to criticize Trump and his administration’s serious attacks on free speech and the rule of law. Only because he is more concerned about the backlash MAGA will unleash on him than stand on principle.
George being George: First claiming Obama and Biden had to necessarily adopt police state fascist tactics, implanting federal law enforcement in private social networks to not only censor but hide information about the Democrats’ felonious “Russia Dossier”, the Biden Bribery Laptop, etc in order to defend the Democrat Democracy and George’s free speech rights rights – now George is claiming that he is as always right and Professor Turley is always wrong. George is attempting to instruct us that Trump is actually the one attacking the free speech rights of foreign nationals on a student visa who want to be negotiators for domestic terrorists during their attacks on our taxpayer funded democratic educational institutions.
George is such a Cheap Fake American.
The column is unusual only in that it is uncommon for left wing nuts to be the target of campus censorship.
Turley has written about the instances that occur occr. proportaionate to criticising the left when they censor.
With respect to the rest of your nonsense. The US is not obligated to allow terrorists, those who support terrorists, peodophiles and others like that into the US.
The fact that some of those people also speak politically does not grant them a right to be in the US.
Revoking the Visa of someone who never should have gotten one in the first place is not a violation of the first amendment.
Sending foeign students home over anti-semitism and support for terrorist organisations, and misconduct on campus,
is not a violation of the first amendment.
“We have all seen how other schools have been punished or threatened with withholding of federal funds because schools don’t clamp down on students who express unfavorabel views or express direct criticism of Trump and his adminstration or any criticism of Israel.”
No we have seen Trump threaten the funding of schools who do not enforce their prohibitions against anti-semism and/or who engage in racism, or other activities that violate US law.
Though I would prefer if Trump just cut off all funding to colleges and let them engage in anti-semitism and racism if that is what they wish.
The government should not by subsidizing the advocacy of values – not DEI, not Anti-semitism, not the Nazi’s not the KKK.
The example Turley is writing about is “trivial” – because it is rare and the act and punishment inconsequential.
“The fact that some of those people also speak politically does not grant them a right to be in the US.
Revoking the Visa of someone who never should have gotten one in the first place is not a violation of the first amendment.”
According to what? You’re saying that beign foreign students while inside the country they do no have free speech rights?
How would you know that they should have never gotten a visa? Obviousy we can’t read minds.
We are talking about students who have been here a while. Students who have been studying and experiencing being a part of the culture here which includes exercising freedom of speech.
Politicla speech no matter who is saying it within these borders is protected by the 1st amendment. You seem to be avoiding that particular fact.
The Trump administration calls anything critical of israel antisemitism. It’s used as a pretext to silence dissent and legitimate criticism and he’s using the threat of funding cuts to force schools to silence legitimate critcisim. Surely you’re not that dense.
The US is obligated to adhere to the constitution and revoking visas and arresting green card holders for execrcising their right to express their views is a direct violation of that right while they are here. The first amendment applies to all persons within the US. It’s not specific to citizens.
You are such a crybaby
“Sending foeign students home over anti-semitism and support for terrorist organisations, and misconduct on campus,
is not a violation of the first amendment.”
Alleging support is not proof that they acutally did. That’s the problem. Even deportations require reasons and the government prove the claims to be true.
Foreign students are being targetted because of their views. The very nature of the threats and targeting them because of views posted on social media or expressed an opposing views directly chills their speech. Turley would never stand for that if it were conservatives on the receiving end. Never. He would be writing incessantly about it.
His inconsitency is so obvious and hypocritical. Turley doesn’t want to be on the recieving end of a MAGA backlash. Any criticism, even benign, has shown how fast MAGAs will turn on you on this blog. Laura Ingraham learned that the hard way.
Trump’s administration has already been caught lying to the courts and how it’s making excuses to revoke visas and green cards by saying it’s not about free speech, it’s about students supporting terrorism without any evidence.
Taking federal money, even state money out of schools will make things worse for us as a country. Every undustrialized country supports Universities and colleges where their citizens can get a free or an actual afffordable education. China has a better educated citizenry, so does Europe. That gives them an advantage over us. This is why China is a manufacturing and innovation powerhouse compared to us. All we offer are services and education and military weapons. Now it will just be things even many countries won’t need any more. Trump just gave China the biggest opportunity to show the world that there is a better alternative than the US.
“Turley would never stand for that if it were conservatives on the receiving end. ”
Spastic idiot, conservatives don’t support foreign terrorist orgs.
George loves to project about libturds eating their own
“Foreign students are being silenced”
Foreign students should shut the fvck up and be students. Thats what they are here for. Not to advocate or negotiate.
MAGA backlash on Turley. Please describe that. What is that??? A scathing post from Airborne Dog?? Fvcking retard.
Turley doesn’t read this blog. Why isn’t he worried about the backlash from you, Dennis, and Gigi, numbskull? Jeezus, you are one stupid sumbltch.
I’m taking a different stand here… While I ALWAYS cmmend you, Prof. Turley for your Defense of Free Speech… this whole event seems too simple and my sense is the Truth is somewhere in the middle, i.e., this is not just a cut & dry ‘Free Speech’ event….. because.. on one hand can be seen as Free Speech yet on the other hand can be seen as aggresive politicizing & provoking uncomfortable hostility towards a certain segment of the student body.. (an extreme case of this is the Columbia U. affair where certain students spoke to make Jewish Students feel uncomfortable, inferiior, in the wrong, etc. ) sooooo… my sense is Lincoln was trying to head off something bigger from happening at the pass… ALL of this is unfortunate.. the student could have handled this more privately instead of coming form a place of what feels like ‘hate….’
# OH GOOD GRIEF, she has the right NOT to listen under free speech.
Mr. Turley,
Wouldn’t had been just as simple for Lintag to unfriend these individuals herself? Case closed. Done. She would have no exposure to their posts, nor would they have any exposure to her future posts. It may appear to many of us that Lintag wanted to make a huge point as to why she wanted them to unfriend her. I believe there is some wrong in how Lintag handled this situation. It can go both way, can it not?
…agree, Anonymous form the Lightside… I didn’t see yr post before I wrote mine.. but this is not just a Free Speech event.. coming from a position of ‘hate’ to stir up a certain segmet of students is not a great way tro handle this, Frees Speech or not…
#. IT’S ANNOYING…
Oh for crissake, it’s her blog or email! Hey you, get offa my cloud.
There is a delicious irony here. It brings to my mind how Abraham Lincoln, with the full power of the United States government trampled on free speech and individual rights during the War between The States. I don’t know if to have a university named after him conduct itself in this manner is shocking, predictable or revealing. Or if we all should forget about history because or heroes need to be spotless in our minds.
I would add in President Lincoln’s defense that he and the nation were engaged in a civil war – emphasis on the ‘civil’, i.e. that the very continuation of the existence of the United States was at risk. Also that unlike being engaged in a war with a foreign power that would presumably speak a different language or would speak English with a clear and obvious accent, supporters of the Southern secession (or rebellion, if you wish) would most likely speak English and if there were some amount of a ‘Southern accent’ (however that might be defined or described) even that fact would not necessarily tip off Northern listeners that they were being exposed to secessionist (or treasonous, if you wish) ideas or promptings for Southern-supporting actions. But I agree with Prof Turley that while this student’s close-mindedness is disappointing, her actions are well within her rights and the University should not interfere.
This is from the camp of the Democrat Confederates and their modern day Kluxxers like George: the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are to be willingly adopted and respected in every way even when doing so is a suicide pact with an attacker who claims to be a sovereign nation and you are the verge of quite possibly losing the nation. Oh… just imagine if Democrats could have kept black Americans as slaves right up to present day.
They claim they would have sorted themselves out in time – but that’s no different than them assuring Americans today that The Rich Don’t Pay Their Fair Share and Biden wasn’t the most openly corrupt American president in the nation’s history.
“Or if we all should forget about history because or heroes need to be spotless in our minds.”
How about the history of who initiated the war with an attack on Fort Sumpter?
How’s THAT for delicious irony – the Confederate Democrats fired the first shots to start the war that wiped them out.
TODAY’s Soviet Democrats fired the first shots with their police state fascist attacks on Republicans and then later doubled down against Trump – starting a war that they also disastrously lost just a few short months ago.
Not only delicious irony. Also delicious hot Democrat loser tears – whether they’re Democrats of the racist Confederate variety, the Soviet variety, or the New Hitler Youth variety.
LMU is a dumpster fire of an institution, from top to bottom. This only adds more fuel to that fire.
# . Teacher, teacher, he just said he likes carrots and I love them. Punish him!
# . Lintag invited people to her home for a political meeting . Republicans showed up, too. They came in and began discussing republican issues.
If lintag asked them to leave showing them to the door and saying leave and leave quickly. You are not invited . Would that be okay?
I’m currently a professor at LMU. That ends when this semester is complete.
Reminds me of something a soldier never, never does in the military:
“Space Force Col. Susannah Meyers fired after astonishing mass email about JD Vance’s Greenland visit surfaces.”
“Col. Susannah Meyers was removed as commander of Pituffik Space Base ‘for loss of confidence in her ability to lead.’”
– New York Post
Here’s another one probably wishing she had hung the pictures.
https://x.com/amuse/status/1911430848018108730
They may have been a little light in the tactics and strategy training; I wonder if they laid out a Phase 2: “Plan For Post-Removal.”
fyi, Anonymous form the darkside, posting multiple posts daily posing /pretending to be from various others re: Meyers.. obviously u have never been in the Big Corporate World in any substantial way or u would have learned that publically (i.e., within the company) dissing your Boss, esp. in wiriting, like a mass email, gets you fired. period.
What did the email say? I’ll look it up. He’s her boss.
Turley– “Lincoln Memorial University should apologize and guarantee that, in the future, the free speech rights of its students and faculty will be afforded greater protection.”
Of course. But why is this so hard for “educated” administrators to understand?
I wonder if administration staff might be held personally liable under 42 USC Sec 1983 for infringement of a fundamental right?
Maybe then they would learn to respect the right and scope of free speech even if they don’t understand its importance.
Lincoln was all about censorship and the use of force to get what he wanted. Why would a University named after this horrible American, who destroyed so much of the American mythology, be against censorship.
100% agree
#. Something about freedom of association? She wasn’t offensive. Just truthful posting about people she wants to post with. Block those and post this is a Democrat site and comments will be blocked.
Lincoln seems like a cult. Enter here and we’ll consume your freedom. Loved the tiered punishment. Lincoln’s authority begins and ends with veterinarian medicine on and off campus. On campus you’ll stick to education and so will we.
Stupid… hey doc, my arm hurts when I do this. Well don’t do that.
OT: AOC is the leader of the Democrat party. She’s the reason there are instructions on shampoo bottles.
#. What to do with petty tyrants. Lincolnshire punisher is at heart Putin or Hamas. They punish or start wars over what they want.
This incident does deserve a lawsuit for humiliation. Apply to another school and make them pay the cost unless they apologize in public.
Prof Turley is correct. This university has caught the “censor” bug from the prog/left and must be set straight.
What amazes me these past few decades is how easily, what had once been considered elite centers of intellectualism, have now become illiterate when it comes down to the fundamentals of, not only the constitution, but general history and biology, and more.
Short of fumigating the entire academic structure (including public and private K-12 schools faculty and administration) we will continue to witness the abject decline and destruction of erudition within the western world as a whole, and within our nation particularly.
“fumigating the entire academic structure ”
The essential first step in such a fumigation is to make certain that not one single taxpayer dollar is paid to any school, anywhere, ever. Then taxpayers of individual states can begin the effort to withdraw subsidies at that level, as well. The priority is based on the assumption that it will be much easier to convince taxpayers at the state level of the folly of this when they get a closer look at the magnitude of funds involved. When that process has developed some momentum, you will see these schools respond much better to demands for an actual education.
Exactly. Bring all this insanity down to the local level and see how parents react to what has been the silent agenda of prog/left bureaucrats from the federal level.
Those in PROFESSIONALLY-LICENSED careers know and understand the type of homeostatic personality that is needed to deal with all sectors of the public.
If this veterinary student is already having problems containing and controlling her personal opinions (let alone lacking any introspective understanding of the severity of her opinions), God help the poor dog or cat who comes in for care, whose owner wears a MAGA hat.