College bans conservative speaker over security concerns
Ben Shapiro weighs in on controversy at DePaul University
Conservative writer Ben Shapiro lashed out after DePaul University canceled a proposed speaking appearance, telling Fox News on Monday the school seemed to suggest it couldn't control its own angry students.
DePaul was the latest university to try nixing one of his speaking gigs. In December, officials at Cal State LA moved to cancel an event featuring Shapiro after some students reportedly compared it to an "underground KKK meeting." Shapiro wound up appearing anyway, sparking protests.
In a post that appeared on Shapiro's blog Monday, DePaul's Young Americans for Freedom chapter explained it invited the pundit to speak when the university stepped in.
DePaul Vice President of Facilities Operations Bob Janis wrote to the chapter in an email, "Given the experiences and security concerns that some other schools have had with Ben Shapiro speaking on their campuses, DePaul cannot agree to allow him to speak on our campus at this time."
Shapiro told Fox News' "The Kelly File," "What I love most about this situation is that they don't even say that what I'm saying is so terrible. Instead, what they say is that because I've been met with violence at other campuses, this raises security concerns. So in other words, they can't keep their own students from assaulting people... basically, we now have the rioters' veto."
Activists protesting his February appearance at Cal State LA reportedly blocked exits and pulled the fire alarm to cause disruptions.
Shapiro has frequently taken on movements such as Black Lives Matter, as well as schools that accommodate "micro-aggressions." The title of his Cal State LA speech: "When Diversity Becomes a Problem."
The pundit had some advice for DePaul, the nation's largest Catholic university. "What they should tell the students is, 'guys, you seem a little bit excitable.' Hand out some free pot, everybody will just calm down a little bit."
There was no further response from the Chicago university.
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