Identity of Speakers
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Raquel Juarez
Student
OtherUniversity of Utah student
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Recognized student group event
Pamphleteering
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Publication retraction
University administration invoked formal speech code in response
State Campus Free Speech Act
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
In April 2026, University of Utah student Lexi Parson organized an Earth Day event scheduled for April 22, 2026. Parson initially received approval to post flyers and distribute an email promoting the event, which included references to “environmental justice” and “communities disproportionately affected by climate change.” Shortly after the materials were posted, a university administrator informed her that the language had to be removed. University officials stated that because the event was sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of Utah, it was considered an extension of the institution and subject to a 2023 Utah System of Higher Education policy requiring institutional neutrality.
Parson revised the promotional materials to remove the specified language so the event could proceed on April 22, 2026. The updated flyer replaced the original wording with more general references to sustainability. University officials stated that the revisions were required under their interpretation of the neutrality policy governing university-affiliated communications.
By April 29, 2026, University of Utah faculty publicly responded to the administration’s actions and called on university leadership to apologize to Parson. The response focused on the application of the neutrality policy to student-led programming connected to the university and marked an escalation of the matter within the institution. The university maintained that its actions were required under existing policy.
