Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to speak at U of M despite protests, petition
MINNEAPOLIS -- On Monday, the University of Minnesota will welcome a high-profile guest to its Twin Cities campus. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was invited by the law school to speak as part of the Robert A. Stein Lecture series. But her visit isn't sitting well with some students who called for her invitation to be revoked, and are planning to protest.
"We are a more polarized country and that's reflected on college campuses just like everywhere else. But the job of a college or university is show us how we can nonetheless speak to one another and listen to each other effectively," Law School Interim Dean William McGeveran said.
Justice Barrett is not the first Supreme Court justice to visit the University.
"The fact that we had Justice Kagan, Justice Sotomayor and Justice Roberts and Justice Scalia in past lectures is reflective of the fact that the Supreme Court justices just like the rest of America have different points of view and we want to hear from all of them over time," McGeveran said.
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Some students disagree. Almost 700 people signed a petition demanding the University rescind the invitation.
"It's not just ideas she has, it's actual things she has done," Mira Altobell-Resendez said.
She is a member of Students for a Democratic Society, an organization planning to hold a protest outside the event. They also encouraged people to reserve tickets and not show up.
"Amy Coney Barrett played a large role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade as well as more recently the overturning of affirmative action which is what a lot of black and brown students rely on to get into college in the first place," Altobell-Resendez said.
There will be a heightened police presence on campus Monday. The university encourages people to avoid the area during the event as they expect large crowds and traffic.
"Some of our students are choosing not to go and instead go have a cup of coffee with their friends, some are choosing to participate in protests outside Northrop and some will be in attendance and those are all fine choices depending on their point of view," McGeveran said.
In a statement, Jake Ricker, Director of Public Relations said, "Freedom of expression is a core principle in our mission. It's our commitment and our responsibility as a public university to invite new ideas, different worldviews, and open dialogues that challenge our students. This is true even if speakers express views that some of our students find objectionable."
