On Tuesday, May 23, Middlebury College announced the conclusion of the disciplinary process for students involved in the March 2 shutdown of a scheduled talk by Charles Murray on campus. The shutdown of the event occurred through numerous violations of the college’s policy on protests and demonstrations, including impeding the ability of the audience to view the event through excessive shouting, chanting, banging of chairs, and large signs. Further disruptive actions included the pulling of fire alarms, the injury of a professor, and the damaging of property. These actions also prevented numerous Middlebury students and faculty from attending the event.
Ultimately, Middlebury College chose to impose minimal sanctions — ranging from as little as probation to simply placing a record in the student’s file — rather than taking the decisive and necessary action to address these severe disruptions. The leadership of the Middlebury College Republicans is disappointed in what we perceive to be inadequate discipline for such a disruptive protest. These sanctions are the judicial equivalent of a stern look. Any mob mentality and event shutdown on the part of certain students — who wish to silence those with whom they disagree — has no place on a campus dedicated to academic discourse. Middlebury’s ineffective punishments represent a failure to hold accountable those students who participated in the protests. At this divisive time, colleges and universities need to be reaffirming their dedication to open inquiry rather than casting doubt on their ability to deal with violations of it.
Numerous protestors not only violated several Middlebury College Handbook rules on March 2, but also prevented our community from engaging in a free and robust exchange of important ideas. The insufficient outcome of the disciplinary process has set a poor precedent for the future of free speech at Middlebury, and will ultimately serve to justify future disruptive actions on campus.
Civil discourse, free expression, and rigorous discussion are the cornerstone of a liberal arts education. This includes exposure to ideas that one may not necessarily agree with. However, this is a crucial part of the academic experience. Moving forward, we sincerely hope that tolerance for opposing viewpoints, as well as the willingness to emphasize respectful debate, will prevail over the shutdown of speech.
The Middlebury College Republicans leadership is extremely disappointed in the outcome of the disciplinary process. This decision marks a turning point for the college, and presents us with the choice of whether or not we will stand up for free speech and the values of a liberal arts education. Despite the college’s decision, we remain committed to the preservation of free speech, both at Middlebury as well as at colleges and universities across the nation.
This week’s writers are Hayden Dublois and Alexander Khan, co-presidents of the Middlebury College Republicans.
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