BUZZ
Some observers are crying foul after the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s athletics department posted — then deleted — a “Pride Month” post on social media.
The post had stated “The Tar Heels are for everyone” with a ram emoji, the school’s mascot, and an image of the state of North Carolina donning a rainbow argyle pattern across it.
Campus officials say they are just following the UNC Board of Governors Equality Policy of institutional neutrality, but critics argue administrators are too overzealous in enforcement. Others argue the policy is too vague to know whether the post crossed the line.
“The policy states no one speaking on behalf of the university, or any employing subdivision, can address ‘matters of contemporary political debate’ or ‘social policy’ or ‘political controversies of the day,'” wrote Gene Nichol, a University of North Carolina School of Law professor who teaches on the Constitution.
“The First Amendment broadly prefers that speech be left alone. If it is to be regulated, on the other hand, the rules must be clear, limited and precise. Prohibiting expression which concerns ‘matters of contemporary debate’ goes, I think, as far as humanly possible in the opposite direction,” Nichol wrote in his op-ed in the Salisbury Post.
He questioned whether, under such provisions, wishing someone a happy Fourth of July is a violation of the policy, too.
“As I recall, the fourth marks the day we adopted, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence. Is it a ‘matter of contemporary debate’ or ‘political controversy?'”
In protest of the situation, the popular UNC sports fan Instagram account Great Day Tar Heel posted the controversial graphic, stating: “Apparently UNC can’t use this image anymore, so I will. Happy Pride Month Tar Heels.”
An op-ed in the Daily Tar Heel student newspaper argued deleting the post was divisive. Another op-ed in the Charlotte Observer argued there is “nothing ‘neutral’ or ‘equal’ about UNC deleting a Pride post.”
But supporters of the decision have argued it ensured UNC remains completely neutral on social movements, which preserves a fair environment for students of all backgrounds.
UNC Board of Governors member Woody White stated on X that the neutrality policy “respects the rights and voices of everyone, puts no one voice above any other, and prevents universities under our governance from taking sides on the social and political debates raging in our nation.”
“This is especially true for young people who arrive on our campuses each fall, with open minds and a willingness to search for humanity’s truths, without being indoctrinated or force-fed ideology.”
MORE: Some colleges delete ‘Pride Month’ posts because of institutional neutrality
