BOOM! Univ. That Shut Down Conservative Speech Just Got Slapped With a Civil Rights Complaint

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) could be in hot water with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights after Young America's Foundation (YAF) filed a scathing complaint on Wednesday, alleging ongoing violations of students' free speech rights. The complaint asked the DOE to open a formal investigation into the university and to issue remedial actions.

Last month, YAF accused ERAU of "a blatant attempt to silence the voices of its own students" with a "unilaterally decreed totalitarian Speech Ban." The ban targeted pro-Israel activism and projects related to the sanctity of life and transgender ideology." 

YAF said that just in the last few months, the school blocked seven of its campus initiatives, including: 

• A “Stand with Israel” display consisting of Israeli flags showing support for the state of Israel, Jewish students everywhere, and opponents of terrorism
• A “9/11: Never Forget” memorial
• A “Biology Basics activism project” intended to counter the lie at the heart of transgenderism
• Handing out flyers to promote a speech by truth-teller and transgender surgery opponent Chloe Cole
• A “Funeral for Halloween” activism project lampooning “politically correct” restrictions on costumes that commit “cultural appropriation”
• The YAF chapter’s goal of bringing Chloe Cole to campus to present her views to those Embry-Riddle students who might wish to learn from what she has to say
• A “Where Does Life Begin?” project showing the various stages of fetal development to expose students to the reality of life in the womb

Those were only the free-speech violations that occurred at the Prescott campus. The complaint lists other violations at the Daytona Beach branch.  

Meanwhile, Embry-Riddle enthusiastically supported the "Trans Day of Visibility" and other left-wing activism. 

"These bans, which were just a run-up to the total speech ban, lacked any support in ERAU’s rules," the complaint noted. "The student handbook and event registration pages lack any guidelines for what may or may not be 'approvable.' ERAU administrators used their positions of power, devoid of any actual authority, to ban YAF events." In addition, "ERAU has staunchly refused to acknowledge the rights of truth-speaking students."

The complaint noted, "President Trump has armed and directed the Office of Civil Rights to investigate and defund schools that violate civil rights laws," citing President Trump's recent executive orders holding universities accountable for their misguided (and often bigoted) DEI and gender-based policies. 

YAF Communications Director Spencer Brown posted several examples of the discrimination: 

While @EmbryRiddle deems Israeli flags to be "political," this is the office of the administrator who communicated that determination. pic.twitter.com/KPMp1GPE70

— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) February 19, 2025

Despite allowing campus property to be used to observe, celebrate, and support radical leftist gender ideology, @EmbryRiddle told @YAF's activists that they couldn't hold "discussions about the number of genders" in "outdoor or other public places." pic.twitter.com/F0PoHyQkkJ

— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) February 19, 2025

“With this complaint, YAF is following through on its promise to have our students’ backs whenever their rights come under attack from school administrators,” Brown said in a statement. “In this case, YAF is alerting the Trump administration — and urging swift action — to remedy ERAU’s shameful speech policy and pattern of discrimination against conservative students. With his executive orders, President Trump equipped the Office of Civil Rights to investigate and defund educational institutions that violate their students’ rights, a welcome change that YAF applauds and is now eager to take advantage of to root out leftist discrimination at ERAU and other schools nationwide."

The complaint concluded, "YAF looks forward to seeing American colleges truly become the 'marketplace of ideas,' where speech is free in both policy and fact, and the only identity that matters is each student’s dignity as a human being. Please contact me if I can provide further assistance or information."

Free speech is the bedrock of our brilliant American experiment. The Left no longer seeks to "speak truth to power." Instead, it wants to use its power to silence voices that oppose it—by any means possible. Fortunately, there are groups like YAF fighting against the illiberal tyranny at universities. Here at PJ Media, we fight back against the Left's lies and discrimination—24/7, 365 days a year. If you appreciate our work, you can directly support it by becoming a VIP member. Plans start as low as $1.66/month with the promo code FIGHT. Sign up here.