Identity of Speakers
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Caitlin Sewell
Faculty/Staff
OtherCaitlin Sewell was the University of North Texas System Assistant General Counsel
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other student-organized event
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Incident Political Orientation:
Neither -
Incident Responses:
Rally or Protests
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Incident Status:
Dismissed
- No protest Occured
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
Caitlin Sewell was the University of North Texas System Assistant General Counsel. During an on-campus panel discussion called “When Hate Comes to Campus” on November 7, 2019, Sewell was speaking in front of students about the First Amendment’s protection when she said “Um, you know, ‘You’re just a dumb (expletive) and I hate you.’ That alone, that’s protected speech.”
In response, a large group of students took to social media to call for Sewell’s immediate termination. The UNT Student Government Association shared a letter and list of demands on Twitter that included implementing a racial awareness and inclusion curriculum for all students as well as faculty, staff, and administration; hiring more people of color for the 2021-2022 school year; and allocating resources to the expansion of the UNT multicultural center and Division of Equity and Diversity. The President of UNT, Neal Smatresk, tweeted that “this language is never condoned in our community which prides itself on our diversity and caring nature.” Sewell resigned on November 8.
