Montana State University: Students Told to Remove BLM Flag

In September 2021, a group of roommates at Montana State University were notified twice by the university that they must remove a Black Lives Matter flag displayed in their window. The university claimed that the flag could be offensive and a fire hazard. On October 25, FIRE wrote to the university requesting that it reconcile reasonable safety restrictions with student First Amendment rights and allow display of the flag. The university responded, acknowledging that the potential offensiveness of the flag was not legitimate grounds for its removal, and the flag stayed up after it was brought into compliance with the fire code.