Lawsuit FILED: University censors Christian student

[Having trouble viewing this message? Click here to view online]( Sponsorships like below enable us to continue to bring you the latest news and information free of charge. Please note that the below message reflects the opinions and representations of the advertiser alone, and not necessarily the opinion or editorial positions of The Western Journal. [The Western Journal]( She was accused of “harassment” for expressing her deeply held beliefs. [Maggie DeJong]( [University Censors Christian Student]( [Stand with her]( Dear friend, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it", goes a famous expression about free speech. But today, our nation's public universities have a different mantra: "I not only disapprove of what you say, but I will keep you from saying it." That's exactly what officials at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) did to one of their recent master's program graduates, Maggie DeJong. They censored Maggie because of her religious and political views, violating her free speech and due process rights. We filed a lawsuit against SIUE officials on Maggie’s behalf to correct the violation of her constitutional rights. We also asked a federal court to declare unconstitutional portions of the university's policy wielded to punish Maggie. We don't charge clients like Maggie a dime to represent them in court. But that's only possible because you and other faithful partners give to supply our every need. [Will you make the best gift you can right now to help fuel Maggie’s lawsuit and defend other Americans whose First Amendment rights have been violated?]( [Give now]( What happened to Maggie shouldn't happen to any student. A new tactic to silence students Maggie spent the last three years pursuing her master's degree in Art Therapy Counseling at SIUE. Her goal? To one day counsel child trauma victims. But while she was a student, the school informed Maggie that three students had taken out a "no contact order" against her. SIUE forbade Maggie from engaging with the three students and denied her constitutional right to defend herself against their allegations. Maggie was prevented from speaking to them in their shared class, at their jobs in the same building, and in public spaces under threat of further punishment from the school. Maggie was given no reason why. That's when she first contacted ADF. We sent a demand letter to the school to have the orders rescinded and find out why they were even issued in the first place. Here's what we learned: The University issued the orders because certain students claimed they were offended by her speech on topics including religion, politics, critical race theory, and COVID-19 regulations. Maggie was punished simply for expressing her beliefs, beliefs held by millions of Americans. Maggie did not break any school policy or rule. She always engaged in respectful and loving conversations with her classmates. But university officials ignored her rights and disciplined her based solely on her protected speech. If Maggie can be treated this way because of her religious and political views, who is safe to express their deeply held beliefs? The sad truth is that using "no-contact orders" to silence the speech of others is a growing trend on college campuses. For example, ADF is defending three Christian law students from the University of Idaho who have had no-contact orders levied against them because of their religious beliefs. We cannot allow this censorship to stand. Your gift right now will help Maggie challenge the unconstitutional censorship of American students by public universities. Punishing speech Universities are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas, not an echo chamber for one ideology. Maggie was accused of "harassment" simply for expressing her deeply held beliefs on a variety of topics, in class, in conversations with peers, and on social media. "Rather than accept and embrace diverse ideological perspectives, SIUE officials are determined to force their graduate students to think and speak exactly the same, or stay silent, and they will punish anyone who steps out of line," said ADF Senior Counsel Gregg Walters, one of Maggie's attorneys. She did nothing wrong. Yet, because of what SIUE did, Maggie suffered censorship, threats of further discipline, a baseless investigation, and the tarnishing of her reputation. What happened to Maggie is simply wrong. There's no other explanation for it. [Will you stand with Maggie and others who are being censored by the government by making your best gift right now?]( [Donate now]( Act now to help protect students like Maggie, and protect free speech for everyone. Alliance Defending Freedom P.S. Today's students will be tomorrow's leaders. It's alarming that future therapists are being trained in a place that allows discrimination against others based on their religious and political views. [Make your gift online right now to help defend free speech for Maggie—and for everyone!]( [Alliance Defending Freedom]( [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( © 2022 Alliance Defending Freedom 15100 N. 90th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 All donations are secure, private, and tax-deductible. Member ECFA. [Privacy Policy]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2022. [The Western Journal]( All rights reserved. | [Privacy Policy]( The Western Journal | P.O. Box 74273 | Phoenix, AZ 85087 Sponsorships like the above enable us to continue to bring you the latest news and information free of charge. Please note that the above message reflects the opinions and representations of the advertiser alone, and not necessarily the opinion or editorial positions of The Western Journal. If you do not want to receive these emails [unsubscribe]( [Link](