Is This Free Speech?

In the wake of Paul Loeb’s speech, students have been asking a lot of difficult questions. Does accepting donations from Lifetime Trustee David Koch create a potential conflict of interest with the school’s stance on issues such as global warming? Have we, as a school, compromised our values by accepting financial support from individuals whose personal views clash with views of the Academy?

This school does not inherently associate itself with a donor’s beliefs and principles by accepting donations. In fact, the school receives numerous donations from all across the political spectrum, as pointed out by Dr. Curtis.

Deerfield prides itself on its tolerance and coexistence of differing viewpoints. The school fosters students’ intellectual and cultural growth by encouraging us to have open minds. In the classroom, we defend our opinions, but also respect the arguments of peers that may differ from our own.

So then why were the flyers where a student expressed his views taken away by Security? If the administration is free from donor-influences, why did the flyers need to be taken away? Is this not a restriction of free speech?

Perhaps there was a legitimate reason to remove the flyers. But then we wonder, if this were so, why was this incident not addressed during school meeting? Doesn’t the student body deserve to know why? A clarification at dinner or school meeting would suffice and quiet the all the rumors and speculations swirling around campus.

AYC, ES, TL, JB, CB, AS, GM, FR, AG, SW, WEK