The Student Body President at Texas State University is calling for the defunding of the student newspaper over a recently published anti-white column that made headlines in the national press.
Connor Clegg, the student body president at Texas State University, has called for sanctions against the public university’s student newspaper, which came under fire this week after they published an inflammatory column about “white death.” He specifically asked for either the editorial board to resign or for a complete defunding of the newspaper.
“Rudy Martinez penned a piece entitled “Your DNA is an Abomination”, the author proclaims to hate white people because white people should not exist,” Clegg began.
“To wish for the elimination of an entire race is an ignorant, dated, and close-minded opinion, one that does not belong on our campus,” he continued. “This has alarmed the media, politicians, donors, alumni, students, faculty and even prospective students. The University Star has proven through this racist article that they no longer align with our core values as a university. It is imperative that we take necessary measures to ensure that tuition dollars do not go to fund this behavior.”
Clegg then demanded that Martinez, the opinions editor, and the editor-in-chief resign. He said if they chose not to comply he would call for a “full divestment” of student fees from the newspaper.
“As the Student Body President, I am immediately requesting the resignation of columnist Rudy Martinez, Opinions Editor May Olvera, and Editor-in-Chief Denise Cervantes. These individuals knowingly allowed divisive, racist material to stain the reputation of this great University,” he wrote. “Should these individuals choose not to resign. I will be calling for an emergency meeting of the Student Service Fee Committee to reevaluate the paper’s funding and call for a full divestment of student fees from the Star. And I am confident these cuts will be well received with my fellow students, their parents, and future Bobcats.”
This week, Texas State University president, Denise M. Trauth, blasted the column, writing that she was “deeply troubled by the racist opinion column that was published.”
“The column’s central theme was abhorrent and is contrary to the core values of inclusion and unity that our Bobcat students, faculty, and staff hold dear. As president of a university that celebrates its inclusive culture, I detest racism in any manifestation,” she added. She finished the statement by asking the newspaper’s editors to exercise good judgment in determining what is worthy of print.
Clegg came under intense fire from free speech activists. Ari Cohn of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) called out Clegg for trying to revoke funding on the basis that he was offended by Martinez’s column. “FIRE is watching,” he wrote.
Please, try to revoke funding from the student newspaper in retaliation for an op-ed you were offended by. I dare you. FIRE is watching. https://t.co/TeQCcCa5NB
— Ari Cohn (@AriCohn) November 30, 2017
Clegg argued that the student newspaper should be forced to fun themselves through selling advertisements. “There is no reason for over 39,000 students to be forced to invest their student fees towards this brand of journalism,” he finished.
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