Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
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
On April 16, 2026, Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) theatre students preparing a production of Euripides’ The Bacchae were directed by administrators to make changes to the production’s stage set because of concerns about political messaging. The set included phrases such as “No Kings,” “Say Her Name,” “No Justice No Peace,” “We The People,” “Liberty for All,” and “Silence = Violence.” Students incorporated the phrases as part of their interpretation of themes in the play, including power, authority, and resistance. After discussions between students, theatre staff, and administrators, most of the phrases remained. The phrase “No Kings” was removed and replaced with “They need your courage” before the production opened.
The change prompted theatre student Greyson Hartsell, a former Marine, to contact CFCC President Jim Morton and object to the removal of the phrase. Hartsell wrote that he supported “the right to free expression even when that expression may be uncomfortable.” CFCC Vice President Brandon Guthrie responded on April 17, 2026, stating that the decision was based on the college’s responsibility “to maintain political neutrality in its official activities, including academic and theatrical productions presented under the college’s name.” Guthrie stated that references to current political issues could shift attention away from the production’s broader themes.
Following the incident, CFCC officials acknowledged that the college’s neutrality principle was not contained in a formal written policy governing theatrical productions or academic activities.
