Florida State University’s student-run Supreme Court has ordered the student senate to reinstate its former president Jack Denton. Denton’s removal came about for expressing his Catholic beliefs in a private group chat.
Denton sued the school in September. A U.S. district judge ruled the university was under no obligation to reinstate him to his role. Following the decision, in federal court, the Student Supreme Court at the University took up the case. It decided to reinstate Denton saying Denton’s ouster violated the senate’s own First Amendment policies.
From the decision comes the following quote: “The essential question for this Court is whether a violation of [Denton’s] constitutional rights has taken place… We hold that it has.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is the religious liberty law firm that represented Denton. It commended the school’s Supreme Court for its swift action.
Senior counsel Tyson Langhofer said, “All students should be able to peacefully share their personal convictions without fear of retaliation…”
Issues and actions, Western Civilization view or Sharia?
In June, the student senate voted almost unanimously to remove Denton from his position. The action came after the student newspaper published text messages. In them Denton was voicing criticism of groups for taking “explicitly anti-Catholic” stances. Examples include things such as supporting abortion and transgenderism.
Denton’s replacement was Ahmad Daraldik. Daraldik is a Palestinian-American student. He has a history of anti-Semitic posts online. This includes “f— Israel” and “stupid Jew.”
Daraldik joins several student senators in arguing that “… although we are granted freedom of speech, when you are in a public office you are public property and that means you must say things that won’t necessarily offend other people.”
This is a valid argument is a Sharia court. It is antithetical to Western civilization.
Senators pleaded with the court not to reinstate Denton. They assert they, “… do not feel comfortable developing a professional relationship further with him.”
The court responded that principles of free speech supersede personal feelings.
Its decision reads: “A Senator who uses his influence in student government to silence the message of a fellow student, simply because of his disagreement with that message, offends the very principles upon which our Republic was founded…”
That the FSU Student President reinstated is a cautionary tale. It is time America wakes up to the values that are being adopted. They are diametrically opposed to classical western values.
