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Controversy has engulfed the University of Montevallo as campus officials postponed the visit of a conservative speaker who received death threats ahead of his visit and prompted a walkout among student protesters.
The TPUSA chapter at the University of Montevallo rescheduled the mid-February “Change My Mind”-style event after administrators postponed the original date, citing safety concerns.
Now scheduled for March 5, it will still feature conservative commentator and 1819 News founder Bryan Dawson and be a “pick up the mic” format encouraging open debate, according to TPUSA Montevallo’s Instagram page.
“Montevallo caved to the liberal mob on campus who staged a walkout as a protest for the university allowing me to speak,” Dawson posted on his Facebook page. “Montevallo cancelled the TPUSA event citing this and security concerns due to death threats towards me.”
Dawson’s planned appearance had prompted a walkout by several dozen students earlier in the month who said they felt unsafe with the speaker selection, citing his criminal past, the Vallo Vision News reported.
On the flip side, the cancellation drew the ire of U.S. Sen Tommy Tuberville, who posted on X that the administration “caved to the woke mob,” adding students deserve to hear all points of view, including “patriotic conservatives” like Dawson.
In response, a letter from the editor of the Alabamian student newspaper headlined “We are not a woke mob” continued the narrative that students are legitimately concerned for their safety.
Dawson did not respond to requests from The College Fix seeking comment, however he has said his life’s journey illustrates a redemptive “tragedy to triumph” story.
Clay Callahan, vice president of the University of Montevallo’s TPUSA chapter, told The College Fix in an interview that the group’s mission is rooted in open dialogue and free speech.
The initial controversy began when university officials reached out to discuss possibly postponing the event, according to Callahan. The chapter president met with the university’s interim president, they were asked about moving the date, but were under the impression it was still an ongoing discussion, he said.
What frustrated his group the most, he said, was that a campus-wide email announcing the postponement was sent before the chapter had agreed to any change.
University officials cited safety concerns and student discomfort as primary reasons for the delay, he said.
Administration had received numerous emails from students expressing concerns about Dawson’s presence on campus, according to Callahan. The university’s interim president indicated that the additional time would allow officials to be better prepared to handle security logistics, he added.
“Personally, I don’t believe there were real safety concerns,” Callahan said.
Dawson is expected to bring his own security team to the upcoming event, while city police are also expected to assist with monitoring it.
Despite tensions, Callahan said the group is “excited it’s still happening.”
The March 5 event is expected to be identical in format to the originally planned session, an open microphone discussion where students can challenge Dawson’s views directly.
Topics are expected to be wide-ranging. Some students have labeled Dawson a white supremacist online and circulated posts they believe support that claim, according to Callahan.
“I’m pretty sure that will be brought up,” he said, adding that the chapter leadership wants to encourage “people to come up and be open to having a discussion.”
The University of Montevallo media affairs division did not respond to The College Fix’s request for comment.
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