University of California at Los Angeles: Controversial Student Event Cancelled
Cases
University of California, Los Angeles
Case Overview
The University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) has reversed a decision that forced a student organization to cancel an immigration debate in response to threatened protests after it could not pay a $15,000 security fee. After UCLA's Objectivist group was forced to pay the security fee or cancel the event, they turned to FIREfor help, who wrote Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams to remind him that UCLA was legally bound to uphold the First Amendment, and that forcing a club to pay excessive security fees because of the threat of an unruly mob was also unconstitutional. As a result, UCLA changed its position, emphasizing in a letter to FIREthat the Objectivist group could host the event without paying the security fee. The unconstitutional "heckler's veto" has been dealt another blow on college campuses.