Arizona State University (ASU) is allegedly dismantling its personal
development center over hosting conservative speakers back in February.

The T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development�s executive director, Ann
Atkinson, wrote in a June 19 op-ed for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) about
the university allegedly planning to �dismantle the Lewis Center� and
terminating her position, effective June 30.

She claimed the center is being eliminated due to her inviting
conservative speakers Charlie Kirk and Dennis Prager to a �nonpartisan
program� in February focusing on �Health, Wealth, and Happiness.� The
event was �part of a popular speaker series focused on connecting students
with professionals who can offer career and life advice.�

�Arizona State University remains committed to, in practice, not just
rhetoric, all things that support free speech and all of its components.
The event in question was held and was a success,� an ASU spokesperson
said in a statement to the Daily Caller. �Ms. Atkinson�s current job at
the university will no longer exist after June 30 because the donor who
created and funded the Lewis Center decided to terminate his donation. ASU
is working to determine how we can support the most impactful elements of
the center without that external funding.�

Atkinson said she previously thought ASU, her alma mater and employer,
�was different from other schools when it came to free speech.� ASU has a
�green light rating� for policies showing the university protects free
speech, according to free speech organization, the Foundation for
Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

However, the personal development center faced problems when it hosted
Kirk and Prager for the February event, according to Atkinson. Faculty
members in the university�s Barrett Honors College, which the Lewis Center
operates under, were allegedly �outraged� over the conservative speakers.

�Thirty-nine of its 47 faculty signed a letter to the dean condemning the
event on grounds that the speakers are �purveyors of hate who have
publicly attacked women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, [and]
institutions of our democracy,'� Atkinson wrote.

The signers allegedly described the conservative speakers as �white
nationalist provocateurs.�

�Barrett Honors College leadership told me this is purely a business
decision, despite my raising more than $500,000 in the last year through
the center,� Atkinson wrote about her termination as the Lewis Center�s
executive director.

ASU student Luke Mosiman shared an email on Twitter that was apparently
sent from Atkinson, discussing the future of the Lewis Center and her job.

�Ms. Atkinson whose job is linked to the funding for the Center, like all
such employees is then eligible for other jobs at ASU,� the spokesperson
continued. �This is the normal process and she has been treated like
everyone else. As a public university, ASU is committed to free, robust
and uninhibited sharing of ideas among all members of the university�s
community. The university values and adheres to the First Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution, which provides freedom of speech. These values apply to
the students and other members of our community who helped to organize the
Lewis Center speaker program and to the faculty who expressed strong
opinions about the event.�

The Caller reached out to Atkinson for comment but she did not respond by
the time of publication.

This story has been updated with a statement from ASU regarding Atkinson�s
allegations.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/arizona-state-university-will-
allegedly-dismantle-personal-development-center-over-hosting-conservative-
speakers/ar-
AA1cOBBk?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=3fc4ea0aad4f4e288f65d75a679e95ab&ei=10

>Arizona State University (ASU) is allegedly dismantling its personal
>development center over hosting conservative speakers back in February.

Poor boy. Stop bringing in lying radical right wing crackpots and neo nazis
while pretending they're real conservatives.