'This isn't a free speech area': University officials force man to stop praying

Shawn Jones was asked to leave after praying on campus at Clemson University

A man and woman at Clemson University in South Carolina were denied their Constitutional right to pray in public because where they were standing was not a "designated free speech area."

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The administrator who stopped them, Shawn Jones, explained the man was "soliciting" and would need to file paperwork if they wanted to continue.

The event transpired on Thursday, with grad student Kyra Palange shocked at the scene Jones made and the thought of denying anyone in America their Constitutional rights.

Palange is a member of the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), a group in pursuit of educating American youths to help them understand and be "inspired by the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values."

She told the YAF: "I was walking across the grassy area near Fort Hill after class at about 3:15 when I saw someone sitting in a folding chair. Next to him was another folding chair with an 8x10 sign that said PRAYER.

I approached him and we sat down to pray for a few minutes. When we finished, a man from the university approached us and said he could not be praying there because it was not a 'designated free speech area' and presented the person who was praying with a form for the procedures for applying for 'solicitation' on campus. He told him he had to leave."

Using her phone, Palange recorded Jones explaining: "[W]ith him not being a student or faculty or staff, he has to go through the proper procedures in order to...this is not a designated free speech area."

In response Palange asked, "And by that you mean there are free speech areas on campus and the entire campus is not a free speech area."

"That is right," Jones responded.

Members of the YAF were understandably offended.

The site wrote: "Attention Clemson: The entire United States of America is a free speech zone. If an American wants to exercise their religion, they should be able to do it regardless of whether or not they are in a 'designated free speech area.' And silently offering prayer to anyone who wants to take part is not 'solicitation.'"

Emily Jashinsky, a YAF spokeswoman, released an email Sunday to "The College Fix" to say: "referring to a silent offer to pray as 'solicitation' is not fair. It's a very different circumstance than someone coming on campus to solicit, say, a new textbook to students without permission.

"There's an important distinction between a silent offer to pray and commercialized solicitation efforts from external entities. Restrictions on reasonable speech in any capacity are always cause for concern, especially on a college campus where the whole community should do its best to foster a productive and challenging atmosphere for our students."

Mark Land, a Clemson University spokesman, told "The College Fix" the university allows prayer and many engage in that particular activity without incident.

He then explained the university considers the use of the sign solicitation and, as a non-student, faculty or staff member, the man would need to fill out forms and get approved for "such a gathering."

Interestingly, Land did not consider the incident Christian persecution or question the use of designating areas for free speech rather than allowing Constitutional rights across its campus.

The world is going mad and Palange was not afraid to speak up about it.

She understands change can only come through talking about Constitutional and religious rights - and making a point of documenting incidents, holding peaceful protests and demanding change, so she spoke up and the YAF encourages others to step forward and speak up as well.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online