Statement on vandalism of pro-life display at Miami University of Ohio

On November 12, 2018, at Miami University, an installation called Cemetery for the Innocents by the group Students for Life was vandalized multiple times. Over the course of two days, portions of the display were knocked over, stolen, placed in a recycling bin, and partially disassembled. In 2017, the annual display also faced controversy at a regional campus of Miami University when Students for Life successfully challenged the university’s attempt to require trigger warnings surrounding the display on a regional campus. Soon after the vandalism occurred, Dean of Students Kimberly Moore sent a school-wide email condemning it and affirming the university’s commitment to freedom of speech.

“With a student body of over 17,000 undergraduates and 500+ registered student organizations, every student at Miami is likely to hear or see something with which they do not agree. We do not expect students to agree with every idea espoused by a student organization but we compel all students to take the opportunity to learn and gain from the experience. It is not unusual for student organization displays to generate conversations that in fact deepens our understanding of, and commitment to, those qualities we most value.”

Full text

• Strongly condemns the vandalism and “destructive behavior” and affirms all students’ right to free speech and expression
• Draws an explicit distinction between the administration’s policy on free speech and an endorsement the content of that speech.
• Acknowledges that due to the size of the student body, disagreements among students are unavoidable, and encourages students to engage with one another to generate conversations.