Conservative lawyer slams Yale Law School for 'blatantly misrepresenting' liberal students' protest
Kristen Waggoner says she was threatened as students disrupted free speech forum
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A bipartisan panel on civil liberties at Yale Law School was disrupted last week when more than 100 law students tried to drown out and intimidate the speakers, who were there to highlight freedom of speech.
One of the panelists at Yale Law School’s forum, Kristen Waggoner, general counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, told "Fox & Friends" Friday that a protest against a free speech event should not occur at a law school.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The protesters eventually needed police to escort them out of the building, according to reports. The school’s Federalist Society hosted the March 10 panel, which featured Monica Miller, of the progressive American Humanist Association, and Kristen Waggoner, of the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
About 120 student protesters showed up with signs attacking the ADF to shout down the speakers, with one reportedly recorded on audio telling a member of the conservative group that she would "literally fight you, b----."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Waggoner told host Steve Doocy that the situation was very volatile and she was disappointed there was only one video circulating of the chaotic event.
"These students were not only physically intimidating the other students and the speakers, they were pounding on the walls, blocking the exits, and disrupting the event throughout. … It shouldn't take place on a law student campus in the law school classroom," Waggoner said.
Waggoner said the whole point of the panel was to demonstrate civil discourse between two ideological opponents and to show that common ground can be found.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The law school released a statement claiming police officers were not needed to quell the crowd.
"Yale Law School follows the University's free speech policy, which includes a three-warning protocol… YLS staff spoke to Yale Police officers who were already on hand about whether assistance might be needed in the event the students did not follow those instructions. Fortunately, that assistance was not needed and the event went forward until its conclusion. Members of the administration are nonetheless in serious conversation with students about our free speech policies, expectations, and norms."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Waggoner, however, pushed back saying Yale "blatantly misrepresented" what took place and that she needed a police escort to leave the event because of physical threats.
"This wasn't a protest. This was physical intimidation and bullying that took place in the presence of Yale administration. … I just want to underscore the importance that Yale administrators shouldn't be cowering to mobs. They should be insisting on embracing a culture of free speech."
Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.