Ole Miss reschedules conservative lecture at Overby Center after cancellation
Published 2:53 pm Saturday, November 9, 2019
Hours after it was discovered a lecture by Daily Wire contributor Elisha Krauss scheduled to take place on the University of Mississippi campus next week was suddenly canceled, the school announced it was back on.
The lecture, which is hosted by the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Ole Miss, was set to take place at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics on Nov. 13.
Krauss, a conservative speaker, claimed she was informed via an email from a UM School of Journalism professor that her lecture could not take place in the venue. The reason given was an unwritten policy stating that no ideological groups can host speakers in the Overby Center.
“Funny that my speech was gonna be about the importance of free speech… even for those we don’t agree with,” Krauss tweeted on Thursday afternoon with a link to a post on the YAF website detailing the news of her event’s cancellation.
A couple hours later, Krauss was contacted via the University’s official Twitter account, which stated they were working to get the event rescheduled and that the cancellation was not a decision made by University administration.
@ElishaKrauss We are attempting to get hold of you. This decision was made unilaterally by two individuals on our campus without consulting with members of the university administration.
— Ole Miss (@OleMiss) November 8, 2019
@ElishaKrauss The University of Mississippi is committed to promoting freedom of speech, assembly and respectful discourse, which are pillars of a healthy and inclusive learning environment.
— Ole Miss (@OleMiss) November 8, 2019
When reached for comment, the University responded with a screenshot of its tweets to Krauss. The tweets placed blame for the event cancellation on two unnamed individuals.
“This decision was made unilaterally by two individuals on our campus without consulting with members of the University administration,” the University’s reply to Krauss read. “As soon as University leaders learned about this decision, they moved promptly to re-invite you. …The University of Mississippi is committed to promoting freedom of speech, assembly and respectful discourse, which are pillars of a healthy and inclusive learning environment.”
In the past, the Overby Center auditorium has played host to a variety of political figures and commentators from both sides of the aisle. However, it is not clear whether or not past events were sponsored by ideological organizations. YAF brands itself as “the principal outreach organization of the Conservative Movement,” according to its mission statement. Under the YAF umbrella is the National Journalism Center, as well as the Reagan Ranch.
On Friday morning, information regarding a new venue location for Krauss’ lecture was released. The lecture will still take place on Nov. 13, but will now be held inside Student Union Auditorium 124 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.