Identity of Speakers
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Uncensored America
Student
OtherConservative student organization at Penn State that organizes events and speakers promoting right‑leaning viewpoints on campus.
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Gavin McInnes
Unaffiliated
Invited for non-academic lectureFounder of the far right Proud Boys organization
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Alex Stein
Unaffiliated
Invited for non-academic lectureConservative commentator
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other student-organized event
Lawsuit
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Incident Political Orientation:
Left wing -
Incident Responses:
Litigation
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On October 29, 2025, Uncensored America filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Penn State and university officials, including President Neeli Bendapudi, Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims, and members of the University Park Allocation Committee. The complaint alleged violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, asserting viewpoint discrimination and inconsistent, unwritten restrictions on conservative speech. It claimed the university denied funding, restricted locations, and canceled or limited events involving the group while allowing comparable events by others to proceed. The suit sought declaratory and injunctive relief, along with nominal and compensatory damages.
The case arose from the cancellation of an October 24, 2022 campus event organized by Uncensored America at Penn State’s University Park campus. The event, titled “Stand Back & Stand By,” had been scheduled to feature Gavin McInnes and Alex Stein at the Thomas Building. Hours before it was set to begin, Penn State canceled the event after tensions escalated between protesters and counter-protesters outside the venue and safety concerns were raised. Law enforcement responded to the demonstrations, and pepper spray was reportedly used during crowd control as clashes developed near the site.
The complaint also referenced an earlier incident in August 2022, when Uncensored America sought to host an outdoor debate table event with conservative speakers. The university denied the original outdoor request, citing staffing limitations, and later permitted the event to proceed only indoors under more restrictive conditions. The group cited this and other incidents as part of its broader claim that it faced uneven treatment in the application of campus event policies.
Following the October 2022 cancellation, President Bendapudi issued a public message stating that Penn State remained committed to free expression but could not proceed with the event due to safety concerns. She described the planned speakers’ rhetoric as “abhorrent,” while maintaining that the decision was based on public safety considerations amid escalating unrest. Penn State maintained that position in response to the lawsuit, reiterating that the cancellation was driven by concerns about violence between attendees and demonstrators.
In April 2026, a federal magistrate judge recommended dismissal of the lawsuit, concluding that the claims did not proceed as pleaded. The recommendation addressed the First Amendment and equal protection allegations raised by Uncensored America and found insufficient grounds for the case to move forward based on the record presented.
