The University of San Diego, a private Catholic institution, has found itself in the midst of controversy after denying a request from conservative students to host an event featuring Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh. The decision to deny the request was based on the grounds that Walsh’s views were considered “grossly offensive.”
Earlier this year, conservative students had sought permission to bring Matt Walsh to campus for an event, but their request was rejected by both campus administrators and the student government.
Student senator Isabella Sevilla highlighted the university’s Catholic identity and its commitment to upholding Catholic values, stating “As a Catholic institution, I do think that it is one of the most important things that we hold our Catholic faith first and if he does not align with the values of the Catholic church then that is something we should consider regarding allocating funding.”
However, the university has had no issue with recently inviting speakers who advocate for values that go directly against the Catholic faith. Sevilla, the same student senator who argued that Walsh’s views do not align with Catholic values, was involved in bringing a drag show onto campus in the spring semester. The campus has also hosted events that include speakers from Black Lives Matter as well as pro-abortion advocates.
Alyssa Jackson, President of USD College Republicans, met with university administrators and was told that Walsh’s views were not in line with Catholic teachings, despite the fact that Walsh is a Catholic himself. There, administrators refused to allow Jackson to appeal the denial of Walsh, stating that his views were “grossly offensive.”
Assistant Vice President for Student Life Byron Howlett, who met with Jackson, reportedly claimed that while “the university is in full support of freedom of expression and freedom of inquiry,” Walsh was denied from attending the university because of a “duty to protect” the community on campus.
Jackson expressed her frustration to the New Guard, stating, “I feel as though conservatives and Catholics are discriminated against for simply holding onto their religious beliefs.”
“We hope that we can still bring Matt Walsh to voice conservative beliefs on campus, which are heavily underrepresented,” Jackson continued. “We face discrimination from professors and peers every day for our values and we believe that Matt would be a strong advocate for our cause.”
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
