Olin Ciaccio Nafziger

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures.

The University of Chicago reversed a decision by the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) to cancel a jointly hosted Chicago Thinker and UChicago Turning Point USA event the museum said would require security it could not provide.

The Thinker—a conservative student publication on campus—reported reserving the event space on August 30 and describing the event to ISAC as a “fireside chat debate on American politics and political philosophy.” Podcaster Tim Pool and conservative activist Jack Posobiec were scheduled to participate in the conversation.

Nine days later, an ISAC representative informed Thinker organizers that because the event could be considered “controversial,” it would require heightened security, which would be infeasible on the event’s date, October 9. The museum is scheduled to be open to the public that day, and ISAC would have needed to close its galleries to facilitate security for the event, according to emails published by the Thinker.

ISAC declined to accept the Thinker’s proposed security arrangements—which appear to have been provided after the fact—including an offer to pay for University of Chicago Police Department officers to attend.

“We, as the host organization, are responsible for the overall security of ISAC, not you,” ISAC wrote in an email published by the Thinker. “Even if you are the one paying for additional police officers or other security personnel, we need to know about this in advance.”

Unlike UChicago Student Centers, ISAC does not ask in its space booking request form whether planned events are likely to be protested or will require additional security. No plans to protest the event had been announced at the time of publication.

Pool, whom the Thinker previously hosted at its American Identity Summit in May, is a right-wing podcaster known for his commentary on culture wars; his podcast has been criticized for spreading conspiracy theories. Posobiec is a conservative influencer and activist known for promoting the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory and denying Joe Biden’s 2020 U.S. presidential election victory.

The Thinker labeled the cancellation a free speech concern and reported it to the University administration and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, leading to the event’s reinstatement.

When asked for comment, representatives of the Thinker conditioned an interview with their president on the Maroon promoting the October 9 event in its reporting; the Maroon was referred to previous Thinker coverage when it declined to do so.

UChicago is known for its public commitment to free speech and institutional neutrality. The Chicago Principles, published by a faculty committee in 2014, say that it is not the role of a university to “shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive,” and that the University may only regulate speech if it violates the law, constitutes defamation or harassment, or is “incompatible with the functioning of the University.”

In a statement to the Maroon, a University spokesperson reiterated the University’s “unwavering commitment to free expression” and “the ability of Recognized Student Organizations to invite speakers of their choice.” The Chicago Thinker is an independent student publication and not an RSO, as noted on their website.

The statement said that “staff at the event venue incorrectly cited possible security concerns as a potential obstacle to hosting the event. The University has extensive support systems to ensure that all kinds of events can proceed successfully. Once senior leaders at the University became aware of the issue, it was immediately corrected, and the University apologized to the event organizers.”