Pennsylvania State University: Administrator Interferes With Student Group’s Attempt to Expel Member

An administrator at Penn State told the College Independents, a political student group, that it could not remove a member for disruptive behavior. While the administrator eventually allowed the group to expel the member, FIRE wrote the university on May 17, 2023, reminding it that the First Amendment protects student groups’ rights to make their own decisions on who to associate with, and that the university must allow student groups to determine their own membership. On July 12, in response to an inquiry from the student group, the university told the College Independents that any student organization on campus “is able to make its own membership decisions.”