Virginia Military Institute: Administrators Interfere With Independent Student Newspaper’s Operations

Since spring 2021, when students and alumni revived the independent student newspaper The Cadet, VMI administrators have interfered with the paper’s distribution, content, and structure. VMI administrators also declined to restore accommodations, such as meeting space and leave from military responsibilities, that were historically available to editors and are given to other student groups. On September 21, FIRE wrote to VMI calling on its leadership to stop pressuring the paper and to reinstate formerly available accommodations. VMI responded September 30, disputing FIRE’s concerns and refusing to change course.