Catholic university to black, pro-life speaker: You’re not Welcomed!

Catholic university to black, pro-life speaker: You’re not Welcomed! …but we’ll make room for Al Franken and transgender speaker.

Liberal administrators at the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic university and private college in Minnesota, censored the appearance of prominent pro-life and black speaker Star Parker. On April 21, 2008, Star—the best-selling author of numerous books—was slated to speak on campus about the devastating impact abortion has on minority communities. UST Vice President of Student Affairs Jane Canney nixed the idea entirely, citing “concerns” that the lecture was being underwritten by Young America’s Foundation.

Katie Kieffer, a 2005 alumna of St. Thomas and founder of the independent conservative newspaper on campus, the St. Thomas Standard, as well as the non-profit Conservative Student News Inc., was an organizer of the Star Parker lecture. She confronted Canney on her refusal to allow Star on campus. “Our Catholic university has hosted two decidedly liberal speakers in the past year, Al Franken and Debra Davis, an outspoken transgender woman,” Kieffer wrote in the St. Thomas Standard.

Why, then, won’t St. Thomas welcome Star Parker—a pro-life, Christian speaker?

Jane Canney told Katie and her sister, Amie Kieffer, a senior at St. Thomas and editor of the St. Thomas Standard, “As long as I am a vice president at St. Thomas, the Young America’s Foundation will not be allowed on campus.” Canney didn’t return the Foundation’s phone calls seeking comment. The Student Life Committee, on which Jane Canney resides, denied the Students for Human Life and the St. Thomas Standard a room on campus for Star Parker’s lecture. The young conservatives only needed a room and advertising space to host Parker, as Young America’s Foundation and Conservative Student News Inc. were covering all other costs.

Canney’s hostility toward Young America’s Foundation originated when the Foundation sponsored Ann Coulter at St. Thomas two years ago—an event attracting more than 750 students. Canney claimed she felt “uncomfortable” and “disturbed” while listening to Coulter, adding that she will never allow another Foundation-sponsored speaker on campus again.

Campus liberals are unaccustomed to hearing conservative ideas in their echo chambers, so it’s not uncommon for them to become discomforted when hearing alternative opinions.

“Canney should not deprive students the right to hear Star Parker’s ideas,” said Jason Mattera, the spokesman for Young America’s Foundation. “Such guilt-by-association is unbecoming of a college administrator.”

“Just because some students and some administrators claimed to have been offended by what one conservative speaker says doesn’t mean you cut off the entire campus population from hearing conservatives viewpoints,” Mattera continued.

“It’s startling that a school named after one of the greatest thinkers in civilization is displaying such anti-intellectualism. Let’s treat college students like the adults they are—allow them to hear a variety of speakers and form their own conclusions.”

Young America’s Foundation sponsors more than 500 lectures annually featuring a wide array of the very best in the Conservative Movement, including John Ashcroft, Michelle Malkin, Dinesh D’Souza, Sean Hannity, Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, and many others.

Liberals speakers at St. Thomas receive full support from the school’s administration. Just this past year Canney’s Student Life Committee approved the appearances of Al Franken, the bombastic liberal commentator, and Debra Davis, a transgendered activist.

Katie Kieffer called Canney out on her duplicity: “As an alumna of St. Thomas, I am embarrassed that the vice president of Student Affairs, Jane Canney, makes key decisions based on impulse and feelings. I am embarrassed that a vice president at this Catholic institution is making it virtually impossible for conservatives to bring conservative speakers to campus. For a person in charge of Campus Life on a Catholic campus, she is closed to our efforts to present conservative and Catholic pro-life values.”

Jane Canney is violating the school’s speaker policy to boot. The policy states that decisions to invite speakers are governed by “fairness and equity toward various conflicting views and interests, being mindful of the needs for wider information on the part of students and the larger community…Another factor governing speakers on campus is our concern that a wide variety of issues and viewpoints be given expression.”

She’s also violating her school’s expressed convictions, including “intellectual inquiry,” “faith and reason,” “the pursuit of truth,” “diversity,” and “meaningful dialogue.”

“Star Parker is enthusiastic about educating young people about abortion’s demoralizing effects, ideas which are in complete alignment with St. Thomas’ stated positions and Catholic teachings. Based on her behavior, Jane Canney seems unduly hostile toward conservative values,” says Kieffer. “St. Thomas’ commitment to diversity and intellectual inquiry appears to be threadbare at best.”

It’s not the first time St. Thomas featured an unhinged administrator. On April 18, 2005, the university’s president, Father Dennis Dease, accused Ann Coulter of “vulgarizing” his campus even though Father Dease wasn’t present for the lecture and failed to enumerate any of Coulter’s “offensive” remarks. Father Dease’s ire should’ve been directed at the leftist hecklers who interrupted Coulter’s speech by yelling expletives at her. Janney Canney and Father Dease can be contacted at jwcanney@stthomas.edu and djdease@stthomas.edu.

Liberal at Catholic Univ. of St. Thomas Says ´No´ to Pro-life ´Yes´ to Transgender Speakers

St. Paul, MN – The largest private university in Minn., the Univ. of St. Thomas, has refused to allow Star Parker, a pro-life black woman, to address students on campus about Planned Parenthood in a free and open presentation, even though the university web site claims the Univ. of St. Thomas "educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good." A liberal administrator at the Catholic school, VP of Student Affairs, Jane Canney, is the gatekeeper who seems to be permitting extremist liberal points of view, but denying conservative opinions that are in keeping with Catholic teachings, even though St. Thomas is a dedicated and respected Catholic institution. School policy states that all points of view should be presented.

The school maintains a Center for Catholic studies. "The program was designed to engage students and faculty interested in a study of the Catholic intellectual tradition as a whole and how it shapes our understanding of politics, psychology, history, science, literature, theology and other aspects of contemporary culture," according to the school web site. The Catholic Church maintains a strong stand in opposition to abortion, so it is surprising to students that their university has banned nationally syndicated columnist Star Parker from a planned presentation on the campus. Parker was expected to speak on "The Origins of Planned Parenthood," which many students and members of the local community would like to hear.

Parker seems to be more than qualified to speak to the students at any college or university. She has testified before the United States Congress, has appeared as an expert commentator on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, and other television programs. She is also frequently quoted in major national publications such as the Washington Times, Christianity Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Parker is the author of three books, and runs a non-profit conservative think tank, CURE, organized to "fight poverty and restore dignity through faith, freedom and personal responsibility." "Bringing Star to St. Thomas would not only be beneficial for all who hear her, but also enjoyable, educational, and a wonderful inspiration to our Catholic university,"said a report in the independent student newspaper the St. Thomas Standard.

The article explains the many qualifications of Parker, and why students at the university would like to attend the presentation. The article was written by editor Amie Kieffer. The St. Thomas Standard along with the St. Thomas Students for Human Life, and the Young America´s Foundation (YAF) are the sponsors of the lecture by Parker. Kieffer reported to the YAF that she and her sister Katie, founder of the paper, were told by Canney that any speaker sponsored by the YAF is not allowed on campus. Canney ignored efforts to obtain her reaction by phone or by E-mail for this report. The vision statement of the university says: "We seek to be a recognized leader in Catholic higher education that excels in effective teaching, active learning, scholarly research and responsible engagement with the local community as well as with the national and global communities in which we live."

Interestingly, liberal speakers at St. Thomas receive full support from the school´s administration and the Student Life Committee overseen by Canney. During the current school year, Canney has approved the appearances of outspoken liberal commentator Al Franken, as well as a transgendered activist, Debra Davis. It appears that Canney and school administrators may be ignoring their own policy regarding speakers at the school, which states: "Another factor governing speakers on campus is our concern that a wide variety of issues and viewpoints be given expression. We take pride in the scope and quality of programs on campus during the past years. The value of freedom in the classroom is reflected in the campus forum..."

Most schools have such a tight budget that they seek to find sponsors who will underwrite the cost of bringing informative speakers to their campus. Hundreds of lectures are given at colleges and universities each year that are sponsored by the YAF, but apparently Canney will not approve a speaker who is sponsored by YAF, although she has not responded to requests to confirm or deny this claim by students. Young America´s Foundation sponsors more than 500 lectures annually featuring a wide array of the very best in the conservative movement, including John Ashcroft, Michelle Malkin, Dinesh D´Souza, Sean Hannity, Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Star Parker, and many others.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDED April 10. 2008

The following statement was provided by Doug Hennes, Univ. of St. Thomas vice president for university and government relations:

"Commentator Star Parker was not invited to speak at the University of St. Thomas because two outside organizations would have paid her fees and the university would not have been involved in managing the event.
"The Young America´s Foundation and Conservative Student News Inc. offered to pay Parker´s fees and Students for Human Life, a St. Thomas student organization, agreed to serve as a co-sponsor and submit a request for free space.

"The university´s Student Life Committee, comprised of students, faculty and staff, considered the offer and chose not to approve it. "St. Thomas usually pays for speakers and performers who are sponsored by student organizations from a student activity fee fund. In turn, speakers and performers sign a performance contract that specifies fees and guidelines for the event. Parker would not have had to sign a St. Thomas performance contract if she were paid by outside organizations.

"In addition, the university was not comfortable in allowing the Young America´s Foundation to be involved with the Parker event. The foundation paid for commentator Ann Coulter to speak at St. Thomas in 2005, and her remarks were considered highly inflammatory and disrespectful to the mission and values of the university."

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