To the Clemson community:
Over the past several days, the university’s position regarding free speech, specifically prayer on campus, has been misrepresented by certain groups and individuals. The goal of this message is to clarify the situation for everyone in the Clemson community.
First and most importantly, Clemson does not prohibit prayer on our campuses.
Clemson University supports the rights of students, faculty and staff of all religious faiths to express their beliefs on our campuses. Religious expression occurs regularly at Clemson, including in the many religious-based student organizations recognized by the university.
In addition, individuals and groups from the external community are welcome to pray on our campuses, either individually or while interacting with our students.
Those activities involving individuals or groups not affiliated with the university, however, must be held in a manner consistent with our facilities use policies so that we maintain an effective and safe learning environment for our students. Our application of those policies is required by law to be content neutral, meaning it is uniform and consistent regardless of the content of a person’s speech or expression.
Last week, an individual not affiliated with Clemson was on campus inviting others to pray with him via a sign he posted on campus grounds. It has been inaccurately reported that Clemson prohibited this individual from praying on campus.
In fact, a university staff member politely informed the gentleman inviting others to gather and pray that if he would simply remove his sign, he could continue to sit and pray at this location. He was also told that if he wanted to erect a sign and invite a gathering, he would need to reserve one of the areas of campus designated as available to the public for this type of activity or gathering.
While the gentleman in question was polite and accommodating, Clemson must apply the law and university policies regarding use of university space by non-affiliated individuals or groups in a uniform, consistent and content-neutral manner. In other words, while religious expression is welcome on our campuses, the university cannot selectively enforce its rules on facilities or space use based on the message or ideas being promoted.
This individual is welcome on our campus. He can pray at that location. But if he desires to erect a sign and invite a gathering, he will need to move to one of our designated spaces available for such activity, just as would be the case for any individual or group not affiliated with the university that wishes to engage the campus community in such a manner.
Constitutional law does not make all areas of the Clemson campuses open to the public. Clemson has the right, and a legal obligation, to govern use of its facilities and space to ensure safety and to facilitate an effective learning environment. Groups and persons not affiliated with the university who desire to hold events, solicit or invite interaction with students or post signage are required to follow the law and university policies, and use our publicly available spaces. Many community groups do just that without incident, including churches.
The First Amendment does not let Clemson, as a public institution, pick which content or ideas are subject to its rules concerning free speech and use of its facilities, and Clemson does not attempt to do so. When government regulates speech based on content, we jeopardize the very principle that our founding fathers sought to protect.
Clemson welcomes a full range of expression on its campus and works diligently to protect the free speech rights of all individuals or groups on its campuses, while at the same time applying the law and university policies in a consistent manner that promotes a safe and effective learning environment.
Mark Land
Vice President — University Relations
