Grad student sues SIUE after college suppressed her speech

A Christian and conservative graduate student at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) has filed a lawsuit because the school acted against her for sharing her religious and political beliefs. Maggie DeJong, an art therapy student, was given three no-contact orders.

She shared her religious and political beliefs on social media, private messages, and in-class discussions, according to the lawsuit. The suit states that DeJong’s Christian and conservative views were different from those of the faculty and students.

“Under the Art Therapy Program’s ‘anti-oppressive framework’ and calls for ‘social justice,’ Ms. DeJong’s speech was often seen as ‘harmful,'” the lawsuit reads.

One of the defendants in the case is the Art Therapy Counseling Graduate Program Director Megan Robb. She allegedly told DeJong that she could share her views as long as they did not “harm” anyone.

The suit claims that Robb encouraged other students to “report Ms. DeJong’s purportedly ‘harmful,’ and fully protected, speech to University officials.”

We obtained a copy of the complaint for you here.

The school gave her the three no-contact orders on February 10, ...