Schools

Michigan State Sued Over Refusal To Rent Space to White Nationalist

The school cited "the tragic violence" in Charlottesville, Va., for turning down the request.

DETROIT (AP) — A lawsuit has been filed against Michigan State University after it denied a request to rent space on campus for white nationalist Richard Spencer to speak in September. Georgia State University student Cameron Padgett, who tried to rent the room, sued Sunday alleging the university is violating Spencer's free speech.

The East Lansing school has said in a statement the decision was made "due to significant concerns about public safety" and cited the "tragic violence" in Charlottesville, Virginia. Spencer said in a text message to the Associated Press Sunday that, "Cameron Padgett is a brave young man who has my full support."

Spencer was scheduled to speak at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that ended in violence. A woman was killed after a car drove into counterprotesters. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Detroit newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

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Photo by David Goldman/Associated Press

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