The University of Missouri – Columbia will not punish a student who recently posted a racist rant on social media.
In a Snapchat post in December, student Meg Miller said, “If they would have killed 4 more n—– we would have had the whole week off.” She included crying laughing emojis.
In 1986, when the first federal holiday marking the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was celebrated, Washington D.C. disc jockey Doug Tracht said on the air, “Why don’t we shoot four more and get the whole week off?” followed by, “Come on, now, you know I don’t mean nothin’!”
WWDC suspended him five days, he publicly apologized, and donated money to create a scholarship at Howard University in honor of Dr. King.
According to a Jan. 9, 2023, University of Missouri release on Jan., the school determined it cannot discipline the student due to First Amendment protections.
“First Amendment law does not allow a public university to punish speech only because it is racist or hateful — even when that speech is diametrically opposed to our values,” Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri System, said in a statement.
“Our university community will not be defined by the actions of one individual, but instead by our deep and collective commitment to be welcoming to all.”
Choi explained that the student’s racial slur was in a direct message to a friend that was then viewed by other students, “and was not communicated in a way that harassed any individual. In that context, the speech is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Chair Marlene Terry, D-St. Louis, called Choi’s First Amendment rights explanation “compelling,” regardless of how hateful or divisive a student’s statement might be.
“This incident still illustrates just how far we still have to go to ensure students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome on Missouri’s flagship campus,” Terry wrote.
“What this student said was wrong. It caused genuine distress among the Black student body and left them feeling unprotected and unappreciated in a place where they are meant to learn and grow into valued members of society.
“[Miller’s Instagram post and lack of punishment] underscores the importance of education that’s conscious of difference and teaches the pain our words and deeds can cause when they are fueled by division, hate and ignorance.”
After the post became public, Miller did resign as president of the MU chapter of Turning Point USA, described by the Kansas City Star as “a far-right student club.”
Immediately following the post, many students called for Miller to be expelled or punished in some fashion. The university issued a release saying, “this language is reprehensible, and we condemn any language and actions that are racist, discriminatory and hateful to our community.”
Upon announcing the university would take no action, Choi said in the release, “First Amendment law does not allow a public university to punish speech only because it is racist or hateful – even when that speech is diametrically opposed to our values,” Choi wrote.
“It is equally important, however, to emphasize that the First Amendment has limits, and we have and will take action when individuals are subjected to harassment that violates our rules prohibiting discrimination. For example, within the last year, we dismissed a student who directed a racial slur at a fellow student. We also will take action under our rules and refer to law enforcement any serious threat of violence to our campus community.
“Our university community will not be defined by the actions of one individual, but instead by our deep and collective commitment to be welcoming to all.”
Terry called upon the university to redouble its efforts against racism, antisemitism and other dangerous ideologies that dehumanize both the discriminated and the discriminator. Our caucus will watch for their next steps vigilantly.”
