Wyoming:
Ex-Radical Sues Over College Speech
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/16brfs-EXRADICALSUE_BRF.html
By DAN FROSCH
April 15, 2010
William Ayers, the 1960s radical and current professor of education
at the University of Illinois at Chicago, filed a federal lawsuit on
Thursday against the University of Wyoming over its decision to bar
him from speaking there. Mr. Ayers, a founder of the Weather
Underground, was invited by the university's Social Justice Research
Center, which canceled his appearance last month. Tom Buchanan,
university president, cited controversy over Mr. Ayer's planned
appearance and also safety concerns. A student tried to reserve a
campus site for Mr. Ayers, but the university rejected that idea as well.
---------
David Lane threatens to sue University of Wyoming over refusal to let
Weather Underground founder William Ayers speak on campus
http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/04/david_lane_threatens_to_sue_un.php
By Michael Roberts
Apr. 13 2010
Attorney David Lane loves big issues and controversial clients,
including former CU professor Ward Churchill, wrongfully convicted
Timothy Masters or Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene.
And now, he's taken on another cause that's right up his alley: an
attempt by the University of Wyoming to prevent an on-campus speech
by William Ayers, a founder of the radical '60s-era group the Weather
Underground, and a figure in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
Lane has sent the University of Wyoming a letter, on view below,
demanding that Ayers be allowed to speak. The missive states that if
permission isn't granted by noon tomorrow, Lane will sue the
university. Does that mean paperwork would be filed by the next day?
"That would be nice," he says.
Ayers had been invited to speak about education and social justice
issues on March 29 by UW's Social Justice Research Center, but
university president Tom Buchanan nixed that, reportedly arguing that
giving him a platform would diminish the public's confidence in the
institution.
In Lane's view, that should have been an invitation for a fight.
However, he notes, "this group, completely lacking in, shall we say,
backbone, caved when various administration types began to wring
their hands and cluck their tongues, and disinvited him."
Lane says this decision disappointed many students at the school,
including Meg Lanker, who wanted to hear what Ayers had to say.
"Meg went through all the channels, but they told her, 'Nope, he's
not coming to Wyoming,' also known as Cheneyville," Lane says.
This declaration naturally piqued Lane's interest. After all, he's
been down this road before with aforementioned client Churchill.
"Back in 2005, when the shit was hitting the fan at CU" regarding the
school's investigation of alleged academic misconduct, he says,
"Churchill was scheduled to give a speech at the UMC on campus, and
the university said 'no.'" Lane's response: "We filed a complaint in
federal district court seeking injunctive relief and an order making
CU let him speak. And they caved literally on the front steps of the
court house at 4 p.m. on the afternoon of the 7 p.m. speech."
In the end, Churchill was able to share his opinions, and Lane
believes Ayers should be allowed to do so as well, even if the
university complains about security issues attendant to his
appearance. "The law has already dealt with that issue," he allows.
"The law has said the government's job when confronting security
risks based on free speech is to provide more security, not less free speech."
When asked about the odds of Wyoming backing down by his deadline,
Lane says, "It's always a political decision for these folks. And
politically, they'd probably rather have a federal judge order them
to let him speak on campus than to appear to support the First Amendment."
Here's Lane's letter:
April 12, 2010
Ms. Susan Weidel, Esq.
University of Wyoming
VIA EMAIL
Weidel@uwyo.edu
Re: Meg Lanker and William Ayers v. University of Wyoming
Dear Ms. Weidel:
I have been retained by Ms. Meg Lanker a student at the University of
Wyoming, and Mr. William Ayers regarding your email earlier today to
Ms. Lanker in which you stated as follows:
Pursuant to our telephone conversation, the University of Wyoming
will not be available as a venue for the event you are hosting for
Mr. William Ayers.
Having represented Professor Ward Churchill against the University of
Colorado in a similar circumstance, it is my belief -- and that of
every court which has heard similar cases -- that your action is
violative of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
You are prohibiting Mr. Ayers from speaking in a public forum
commonly used for such purposes and you are preventing those
interested members of the student body and community at large from
hearing his message based solely upon the content of that message. As
you undoubtedly know, the government is not permitted to censor free
speech based upon its content.
If you do not permit Mr. Ayers to speak on campus in the same forum
normally used for such purposes, I will proceed to file suit against
the University of Wyoming in the United States District Court for the
District of Wyoming. I am confident that the court will rule for free
speech and against repression.
If I have not heard from you by high noon MDT, April 14th we will
proceed to file.
Sincerely,
David A. Lane
--------
Lawyer threatens suit over canceled Ayers speech
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inIVIaITvCLIsLbsZ-rCjt6H0dzgD9F1U5AO0
(AP) Apr 12, 2010
LARAMIE, Wyo. A Denver lawyer says he'll sue the University of
Wyoming unless it lets former 1960s radical William Ayers speak on campus.
David Lane sent the school a letter Monday saying he had been
retained by student Meg Lanker. He contends the university violated
the First Amendment when it canceled a speech Ayers was scheduled to
give in March.
He gave the university until noon Wednesday to respond.
A university spokesman didn't immediately return messages left after
business hours Monday seeking comment.
Lane previously represented former University of Colorado professor
Ward Churchill, who was dismissed for alleged plagiarism and research
misconduct following criticism of an essay in which he compared some
9/11 victims to a Nazi.
--------
Ayers suing Univ. of Wyo.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inIVIaITvCLIsLbsZ-rCjt6H0dzgD9F4T3L02
(AP) April 17, 2010
LARAMIE, Wyo. Bill Ayers and a University of Wyoming student are
suing the school after it banned the former 1960s radical from
speaking on campus.
Ayers, who is a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago,
makes college speeches and is routinely picketed, but the University
of Wyoming last week banned him from using any university venue for a
planned April 28 lecture.
Ayers and student Meg Lanker sued on Thursday, asking a federal judge
to issue an injunction and allow the lecture. The lawsuit alleges the
ban violates free speech rights and the freedom to assemble.
A university spokeswoman declined to comment on the suit.
Lanker told the Casper Star-Tribune that Ayers will speak at the
Laramie Civic Center if he's not allowed on campus.
--------
University of Wyoming sued over cancelled speech by Weather
Underground's Bill Ayers
By Trevor Hughes
TrevorHughes@coloradoan.com
April 15, 2010
A University of Wyoming student on Thursday sued administrators over
their decision to block controversial Prof. William Ayers from
speaking on campus.
Student Meghan Lanker and Ayers said in the complaint that UW
violated their First Amendment rights by cancelling two earlier
speeches, and blocking him from speaking on campus April 28. A
Denver-based attorney for Lanker and Ayers, David Lane, said UW
administrators cannot bar Ayers from speaking simply because they
don't like him.
Ayers, now a Distinguished Professor of Education and a Senior
University Scholar at the University of Illinois, Chicago, was a
founding member of the Weather Underground. The radical anti-war
organization detonated bombs at govenment facilities during the late
1960s and early 1970s, including the Pentagon.
A university spokeswoman declined to comment on the suit.
In a statement made after Ayers' first appearance was cancelled, UW
President Tom Buchanan said he was "satisfied" Ayers' invitation had
been rescinded to speak at the Laramie campus.
"The University of Wyoming is one of the few institutions remaining
in today's environment that garners the confidence of the public. The
visit by Professor Ayers would have adversely impacted that
reputation," Buchanan said. "While this episode illustrated an
opportunity to hear and critically evaluate a variety of ideas
thoughtfully, through open, reasoned, and civil debate, it also
demonstrates that we must be mindful of the real consequences our
actions and decisions have on others."
Responded Lanker and Ayers in their complaint: "The First Amendment
requires that the university must allow the public forum to occur on
April 28, 2010, notwithstanding the likelihood that university
officials will disagree with Professor Ayers' speech, notwithstanding
the possibility that some who hear his speech may be made
uncomfortable by it, and even assuming that some listeners may
respond inappropriately or disruptively. The First Amendment
tolerates no lesser result."
---------
Ayers' attorney says he's sticking to today's 'high noon' deadline
http://www.trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2241da42-47de-11df-a2f8-001cc4c03286.html
By JEREMY PELZER
April 14, 2010
CHEYENNE -- The attorney for Bill Ayers said he is sticking to his
"high noon" deadline today for a response from the University of
Wyoming over Ayers' threat to sue the university if it doesn't allow
the 1969s radical-turned-academic to speak on campus.
Ayers and UW student Meg Lanker, through their Denver-based attorney
David Lane, sent a letter Monday to UW threatening a lawsuit on free
speech grounds.
On Monday night Lane received a two-sentence reply from UW attorney
Susan Weidel stating the university will consider the letter "and
respond once we have had an opportunity for further review."
Lane said Tuesday night that despite the terse reply, he still hoped
UW would meet today's noon deadline.
"It took the courage of a committee to come up with that one," Lane
said sarcastically. "I'm not changing my deadline just because
they've fired off this courageous response."
Asked if he expected to go to court, Lane said, "It's very
interesting, because they know they're going to lose in court.
"The issue is a political issue," he continued. "Would they rather be
able to tell all their donors, 'We fought to keep that commie off
campus and some federal judge made us take him,' or would they rather
support the Constitution of the United States of America?"
Lanker and a UW-recognized student group, the Secular Student
Alliance, tried to reserve a room in UW's Classroom Building for
Ayers to deliver a lecture on education theory on April 28.
Weidel notified Lanker on Monday that Ayers wouldn't be permitted to
speak at any UW venue. The university has not offered any reason for
banning Ayers from speaking at the school.
An earlier planned visit by Ayers to the UW campus was canceled March
31 by UW's Social Justice Research Center after the center and
university administrators received hundreds of angry e-mails and
phone calls -- some of which threatened to cut off university funding
or even violence.
Ayers was a co-founder of the Weather Underground, a leftist group
that bombed the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol and other government
buildings to protest the Vietnam War. He's currently an education
professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ayers has said he still plans on coming to Laramie on April 28.
Lanker and others are currently looking for an off-campus location
for Ayers to speak if he remains banned from the UW campus by then.
Following is the full text of UW's reply letter:
April 13, 2010
David A. Lane
Killmer, Lane & Newman, LLP
1543 Champa St., Suite 400
The Odd Fellows Hall
Denver, CO 80202
Re: Meg Lanker and William Ayers v. University of Wyoming
Dear Mr. Lane:
The University of Wyoming is in receipt of your letter dated April
12, 2010 in which you have indicated that you will sue the University
unless you receive a response by April 14th.
The University will consider your letter and respond once we have had
an opportunity for further review.
Sincerely,
Susan Weidel
General Counsel
--------
Bill Ayers just not a big deal
http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2010/04/18/opinion/doc4bca6c83ce428886969975.txt
April 18, 2010
The issue: It looks like the question of whether Bill Ayers ends up
speaking in Laramie will continue to be a hot potato both on and off
the UW campus.
We believe: It's hard to believe Bill Ayers is the worst influence
students will be exposed to during their college careers. The furor
that opponents have created has done more to advance Ayers' stature
and potential audience than anything coming from his supporters.
Tell us what you think: Contact us via email at
dblack@laramieboomerang.com. To comment on our Web site go to
www.laramieboomerang.com
Most Laramie residents first learned that Bill Ayers, a radical
activist from the 1960s, was scheduled to speak at the University of
Wyoming from a front-page story in the Boomerang.
Prior to last year's presidential campaign, even those who had lived
through the '60s would have found it difficult to remember who Ayers
was and what he had done. But conservative radio commentators made a
big deal about Ayers and his supposed relationship to candidate
Barack Obama. They had every right to do that of course, but it
became funny when this one man became such a symbol for those of a
certain political persuasion.
That's not to say that we find anything particularly admirable or
impressive about Ayers and his history. But attempts to brand anyone
as a poster child for evil during a political campaign are generally
unsuccessful. Listening to some talk radio shows, you would have
thought that his full name was "Unrepentant Terrorist Bill Ayers."
So, when the story broke that Ayers was scheduled to speak here, we
anticipated more than the normal amount of protests and complaints
from those with a conservative point of view. But that didn't seem
like a big deal. After all, college campuses have always been the
main venue for controversial and often radical speakers and points of view.
A retread radical like Ayers hardly compares to the firebrand
speakers who appeared on campuses during the tumultuous '60s and
'70s. And, it's hard to find anyone from that era who burned
buildings or took an active part in violence as a result of being
exposed to those revolutionary speakers.
That's why we expected some letters and complaints, but anticipated
that the speech would go off as scheduled. Maybe there would be some
protesters with signs, but what else is new. Then we were shocked at
the intensity and type of opposition that developed. And we were even
more shocked that some groups or individuals thought that threats
were the proper way to oppose an unpopular speaker.
But maybe the most disappointing aspect of this whole controversy was
the willingness of the university to cancel a planned event because
of threats. Ayers and whether he speaks or not isn't the issue for
most of us. Bullies and those who use threats in an attempt to get
their way should never be allowed to win.
No institution or business can afford to be intimidated by threats of
lawsuits, financial sanctions or, especially, violence. That doesn't
mean that errors in judgment or execution shouldn't be corrected as
needed. Doing what's right should always take precedence over other
concerns. But those changes or corrections should never come as a
result of giving in to threats.
When an individual or organization gives into this kind of
intimidation, it just encourages others to adopt the same tactics. We
realize that the university has a responsibility to assure the safety
and security of students, staff, visitors and faculty on the campus.
But canceling events because of some demented threats doesn't accomplish that.
It's completely immaterial to most of us whether Bill Ayers speaks in
Laramie or not. Ironically, if he does speak, whether on campus or
elsewhere, he will probably have a larger audience just because of
the controversy. But most people we've talked to preface their
comments with "Of course I have no interest in going myself."
Do we want Bill Ayers here? No, not really. But we would rather have
had him speak than to have given in to those who believe threats or
violence are legitimate political tools.
--------
Barred from UW, Ayers threatens to sue
JEREMY PELZER
April 14, 2010
CHEYENNE The University of Wyoming has been threatened with a
lawsuit if the school doesn't allow 1960s radical-turned-academic
Bill Ayers to speak on campus later this month.
The threat came after UW attorney Susan Weidel told student Meg
Lanker that Ayers is banned from using a university venue to deliver
a planned lecture on education theory on April 28. Lanker, who's
organizing Ayers' visit, said Weidel didn't give a reason for the ban.
Late last month, the UW Social Justice Research Center canceled plans
for Ayers to visit campus on April 5-6, citing security concerns.
University administrators were bombarded with angry phone calls and
e-mails, some of which threatened to cut off funding to the
university or even violence if Ayers showed up.
In 1969, Ayers co-founded the Weather Underground, a Marxist-Leninist
anti-war group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings
including explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol in the early
1970s that didn't kill anyone.
Lanker, angry about the cancellation, invited Ayers to campus to
speak at UW's Classroom Building, which was reserved by the Secular
Student Alliance, a UW-recognized student group.
But on Monday, Lanker was told by Wiedel in a phone call and e-mail
that Ayers would not be welcome on campus.
"She was emphatic that it was not a possibility," Lanker said.
David Lane, an attorney for Lanker and Ayers, wrote Weidel in a
letter Monday night that if Ayers isn't allowed to speak at UW, he
will file suit in federal court. He gave UW a deadline of "high noon" today.
"You are prohibiting Mr. Ayers from speaking in a public forum
commonly used for such purposes and you are preventing those
interested members of the student body and community at large from
hearing his message based solely upon the content of that message,"
Lane wrote in the letter. "As you undoubtedly know, the government is
not permitted to censor free speech based upon its content."
UW spokeswoman Jessica Lowell said Tuesday that she wasn't sure if
university administrators had seen the letter. Asked why UW decided
to ban Ayers from speaking on campus, Lowell said, "No comment."
Weidel did not return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday.
Opponents of Ayers' visit are more concerned about his past than the
topic of his lecture.
After spending several years as a fugitive, Ayers was caught in 1974.
Federal charges of conspiracy to bomb police stations and other
government buildings were later dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct.
Ayers has said he doesn't regret his actions to oppose the Vietnam
War, stating in a 2001 letter to the New York Times that "in light of
the indiscriminate murder of millions of Vietnamese, we showed
remarkable restraint."
Today, however, Ayers has become a respected academic. A
Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at
the University of Illinois at Chicago, Ayers is a founder of the
"small schools" movement, which seeks to replace sprawling, crowded
urban schools with small, student-centered facilities, often built
around specific focuses such as African-American studies and the
United Nations.
However, Ayers' past actions returned to the headlines in 2008, when
Republican John McCain's presidential campaign and conservative
activists highlighted his ties to then presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Lane is no stranger to controversy himself: The Denver-based attorney
has previously represented ousted University of Colorado professor
Ward Churchill and Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of "Balloon Boy."
Speaking with a Denver alternative weekly publication, Westword, Lane
said a similar lawsuit was filed by Churchill against UC in 2005
after that school refused to let him give a speech on campus.
"They caved literally on the front steps of the court house at 4 p.m.
on the afternoon of the 7 p.m. speech," Lane told the alt-weekly.
As for security concerns the primary reason the UW Social Justice
Research Center withdrew its invitation for Ayers to speak earlier
this month Lane told Westword that under the law, "the government's
job when confronting security risks based on free speech is to
provide more security, not less free speech."
Asked how likely it would be for UW to back down, Lane said, "It's
always a political decision for these folks. And politically, they'd
probably rather have a federal judge order them to let him speak on
campus than to appear to support the First Amendment."
--
Contact Jeremy Pelzer at jeremy.pelzer@trib.com or 307-632-1244.
--------
UW doesn't respond to letter from Ayers, Lanker
Attorney: Lawsuit coming today
http://www.trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_85908da5-8eae-5ca9-88ba-4cb656bc8c40.html
By JEREMY PELZER
April 15, 2010
CHEYENNE -- The attorney for Bill Ayers and a University of Wyoming
student says the two will sue the university, alleging that the
school violated their constitutional right to free speech by banning
Ayers from speaking on campus.
Meanwhile, organizers are looking at hosting Ayers at the Laramie
Civic Center on April 28 if the university hasn't reversed its
decision by then to prevent the 1960s radical-turned-academic from
speaking at a UW venue.
David Lane, a Denver-based attorney for Ayers and UW student Meg
Lanker, said he will file suit in U.S. District Court this morning
after the university ignored his ultimatum to reverse its decision by
"high noon" on Wednesday.
University spokeswoman Jessica Lowell said Wednesday that the
university had no comment about the lawsuit or why Ayers has been
prohibited from speaking at a campus venue.
Lanker tried to reserve a UW facility for Ayers to deliver a lecture
on education theory. But on Monday, UW attorney Susan Weidel notified
Lanker that Ayers wouldn't be allowed to speak anywhere on campus.
In a letter sent to Weidel on Monday night, Lane said UW's ban was
unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds.
On Tuesday night, Lane received a two-sentence reply from Weidel
stating the university will consider the letter "and respond once we
have had an opportunity for further review."
Lanker said Wednesday that while she regretted that taxpayer money
would have to be spent on a court case over the issue, it was the
university's "own damn fault" that the lawsuit had to be filed in the
first place.
"I think that it's a shame that they didn't back down, and I'm ready
to fight it," Lanker said.
An earlier planned visit by Ayers to the UW campus was canceled March
31 by UW's Social Justice Research Center after the center and
university administrators received hundreds of angry e-mails and
phone calls -- some of which threatened violence or cutting off
university funding.
Ayers was a co-founder of the Weather Underground, a leftist group
that bombed the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol and other government
buildings to protest the Vietnam War. He's currently an education
professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ayers has said he still plans on coming to Laramie on April 28.
Lanker said that if Ayers remains banned from speaking on the UW
campus, other off-campus venues such as churches are being considered
along with the civic center.
---------
Judge could allow Ayers speech in Wyoming
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x43859863/Judge-could-allow-Ayers-speech-in-Wyoming
Apr 18, 2010
LARAMIE, Wyo. Bill Ayers has been banned from speaking at the
University of Wyoming, but a judge could decide otherwise.
Ayers is a former 1960s radical whose past ties to President Barack
Obama created waves on the campaign trail. The University of Illinois
at Chicago professor makes speeches nationwide that are often picketed.
But the university banned him from using any school venue for a
planned April 28 lecture.
Ayers and student Meg Lanker sued Thursday asking a federal judge to
issue an injunction and allow the lecture. The lawsuit alleges the
ban violates free speech rights and the freedom to assemble.
A university spokeswoman declined to comment.
Lanker says Ayers may speak at the Laramie Civic Center if he's not
allowed on campus.
A message left Sunday for Ayers wasn't immediately returned.
.
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