The College Fix

Student’s victory leads to policy shift at South Carolina university

Winthrop University student Riley Dill successfully challenged the school administration and Council of Student Leaders for violating her free speech rights after they denied her application to start a Students for Life club.

Dill reached out to Students for Life of America for help, and the national pro-life group issued a demand letter to allow the student to start her club.

Within one week of receiving the letter, the public South Carolina university rescinded the decision and confirmed recognition of Winthrop Students for Life as a new student organization.

Reached for comment, the Council of Student Leaders directed The Fix to Winthrop President Edward Serna’s official statement on the case.

“The Council of Student Leaders is aligned with the institution’s direction,” the council said.

Serna’s statement reads, “On April 1, 2025, after looking into this matter and at the recommendation of the Vice President for Student Affairs and legal counsel, I rescinded the denial of the WSFL charter request … based on concerns relating to freedom of speech and freedom of expression and the corresponding responsibilities of respect and civility for the free speech and expression rights of others.”

Serna also stated that he transferred the authority for approving new student organizations and allocating student activity funds to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, with presidential oversight.

Finally, the university president reaffirmed the school’s “commitment to the rights of freedom of speech and expression as appropriate under the First Amendment to the Constitution and Winthrop University policy as well as the mutual respect, accountability, civility, and appropriate conduct required to protect persons exercising free speech and expression.”

Prior to the school rescinding its denial, Dill encountered intense scrutiny while attempting to establish her club, the student wrote in the SFLA report.

During her charter hearing, the Council of Student Leaders questioned if her group was religious, whether it would be inclusive, and how it differed from the conservative group Turning Point USA.

She “was also asked whether everything would be fact-checked.” Even after she pledged to fact-check, the council remained convinced she’d provide false information, Dill wrote.

After the questioning, Dill was asked to step out as the Council of Student Leaders deliberated. The vice president then told her the council had not yet come to a decision and she’d need to come back again and explain more later. The council couldn’t provide a clear reason for the delay.

Weeks later, after revising her presentation and meeting the council’s demands, “the vice president and the dean of students approached [her], announcing the council had entirely denied the group,” as “there might be too many emotions with this topic,” Dill wrote.

“Enough emotions to override the First Amendment? I don’t think so. Emotions shouldn’t supersede my rights,” she wrote.

The Fix reached out to SFLA and Dill twice via email, but received no response. The Fix inquired about how SFLA formed a response to the university.

Reached for comment, a national free speech group told The Fix this issue extends beyond the Winthrop case.

“Unfortunately, this issue does come up on campus somewhat commonly, as we hear from students and groups who’ve been denied recognition and/or funding based on their group’s views or opposition to their stances,” Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Program Counsel Amanda Nordstrom said via email.

“Universities that purport to value free speech can’t deny student group recognition based on the group’s ideas or beliefs,” she said.

Most universities “promise free speech and open expression in their policies or promotional materials. When they engage in viewpoint discrimination, they risk breaking their own commitments and misleading students about their rights on campus,” she said.

Winthrop University’s Student Conduct Code, for example, states the school “will protect freedom of action and freedom of speech for both students and employees, so long as it is not of an inflammatory or demeaning nature.”

Nordstrom said she encourages students who are being silenced for expressing certain views “to reach out to FIRE right away to sound the alarm and report a case.”

MORE: No, students aren’t avoiding pro-life states. Data suggests the opposite.

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A picture of the Winthrop University logo / screenshot of Winthrop University tour guide YouTube video.

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