Illinois college to pay Maggie DeJong $80k for ‘silencing’ conservative views

An Illinois college will pay a Christian arts student $80,000 and have some professors undergo First Amendment training after she slapped them with a lawsuit claiming they’d silenced her conservative political views.

Maggie DeJong, a former arts therapy student, reached the hefty settlement with the Southern Illinois University this week, her Alliance Defending Freedom lawyers said.

The victory comes after DeJong sued the college last year when three students complained that her religious and political viewpoints, which she often posted on her personal Instagram account, constituted “harassment” and “discrimination.”

The Instagram stories in question included, in part, DeJong’s defense of Kyle Rittenhouse, denouncing critical race theory and her pro-life views.

“Justice and truth prevailed in the face of lies and deception from the mainstream media trying to twist the narrative,” the post said when Rittenhouse was acquitted on charges he killed two men and injured a third during 2020 riots in Kenosha, Wisc. “This gives hope to Americans. Praying protection over those jurors who have been threatened their lives.”

As a result of the complaints leveled against her, the school hit DeJong with “no contact orders” preventing her from engaging with the three students.

“Public universities can’t punish students for expressing their political and religious viewpoints,” ADF Legal Counsel Mathew Hoffmann said in the wake of the settlement.

“Maggie, like every other student, is protected under the First Amendment to respectfully share her personal beliefs, and university officials were wrong to issue gag orders and silence her speech.

“As a result of Maggie’s courage in filing suit, SIUE has agreed to take critical steps to comply with the law and the U.S. Constitution and move closer to accepting and embracing true diversity of thought and speech.”

As part of the settlement, the college agreed to allow ADF attorneys to conduct a First Amendment training session with at least three SIUE professors.

University officials also agreed to revise their policies and student handbook to ensure those with varying political, religious and ideological views are welcome in the art therapy program, ADF attorneys said.

SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor acknowledged the settlement but urged people to “see beyond the sensationalism of clickbait, media reports and headlines in search of a more complete understanding of the facts.”

“SIUE is unequivocally committed to protecting First Amendment rights and does not have policies that restrict free speech nor support censorship,” Minor said in a statement.

“SIUE remains committed to free speech, popular or unpopular, offensive or affable, in an environment that embraces the exchange of diverse views on every aspect of human society.”

“For decades, universities have embraced the challenge of vigorously protecting free speech while at the same time creating a safe learning environment for the expression of diverse views. Protecting these two principles can create tensions,” he continued.

“For example, while the First Amendment protects free speech (no matter how offensive), it does not protect behavior on a campus that creates a pervasively hostile environment for other students. We accept that balancing these two deeply valued principles of free speech and a safe environment, in real-time, represent inherent complications for administering prudence.”