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Wichita State University: Student Government Defunds Student-Run Art Gallery Over Facebook Post

Cases

Wichita State University

Case Overview

FIRE Victory closed

The Wichita State University Student Government Association defunded student-run, off-campus art gallery, ShiftSpace, after claiming it violated SGA policy by criticizing a SGA senator on Facebook. On April 28, 2022, FIRE wrote the university arguing the SGA had wrongfully applied a policy governing faculty and staff speech to protected commentary from the student-run gallery. Shortly thereafter, the SGA Supreme Court reportedly overturned the SGA’s decision, restoring the gallery’s funding and determining that while it had violated SGA policy, the defunding was too harsh.

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