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Despite deleting post, campus leaders denounced wording and launch investigation
A free speech group is calling on Georgetown University to end its investigation into the College Republicans for a post on social media deemed anti-Muslim.
The Georgetown University College Republicans last month had posted on its official X account, “Let’s Be Honest: Muslims have no place in American society. Their religion is incompatible with our Christian Nation.”
It was in response to a story on Muslim jihadists who tried to set off a bomb in New York City in March. Their parents had become naturalized U.S. citizens from Turkey and Afghanistan.
After an overwhelmingly negative response from students, the Georgetown University College Republicans deleted the post and amended its position.
“We affirm the First Amendment rights of all Americans and we are called to love everyone,” a GUCR spokesperson told The Hoya student newspaper. “Our properly articulated position is that Sharia law is incompatible with Western civilization and American society as it seeks to oppress women and persecute religious minorities.”
“This wasn’t expressed in the original tweet which is why it was promptly deleted.”
Despite deleting the post, campus leaders denounced the wording and launched an investigation.
“We are reviewing this matter through established university processes, and we take our community’s concerns seriously and condemn this language, which is deeply inconsistent with Georgetown University’s values,” administrators said in a statement to the campus community.
“All students and student groups with access to benefits are required to follow University policies, including policies expressly prohibiting harassment, discrimination, intimidation and threats of harm. Individuals and groups can be sanctioned for violations of University policies.”
In response to the investigation, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a letter to campus leaders calling on them to end their investigation into the College Republicans.
“As commentary on a major religion and its influence on society and culture, particularly in the immediate wake of a terror attack undertaken in the name of that religion, GUCR’s X post unquestionably falls well within any reasonable understanding of core political speech — speech that is protected by the free speech principles reflected in Georgetown’s policies,” the March 23 letter states.
FIRE notes that people are free to criticize the College Republicans, but added “that any sort of ‘review’ was even announced poses an impermissible chilling effect foreclosed by the university’s policies.”
The group asked for a “substantive response” from Georgetown no later than April 6 “confirming that Georgetown will promptly end its review of GUCR’s protected expression and refrain from imposing any disciplinary sanctions on the group.”
FIRE also called on Georgetown to embrace institutional neutrality.
FIRE spokesperson Jack Whitten told The College Fix on April 10 that Georgetown has yet to respond to his group’s letter.
Georgetown University did not respond to requests from The College Fix seeking comment.
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