A student leader at the University of Houston is under fire for a post that said “all lives matter” on Facebook in the wake of the killings of five Texas police officers.
Student body vice president Rohini Sethi was suspended and was banned from taking part in group activities, reported ABC13. She now has to partake in a “diversity workshop” and attend three cultural events per month.
“Actions by SGA, a registered student organization subject to its own governance, are not University actions and do not affect the academic standing of a student at the University of Houston. The University of Houston continues to stand firm in support of free speech and does not discipline students for exercising their Constitutional rights,” the University of Houston said in a statement obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
After the death of five Dallas police officers last month during a rally, Sethi wrote on Facebook: “Forget #BlackLivesMatter; more like #AllLivesMatter.” Her comment was later deleted.
Student government president Shane Smith tried to explain the punishment meted out to her. “The first amendment [sic] prevents a person from being jailed by the government for what they say. But [it] does not prevent people from receiving other consequences for what they say,” he said, according a letter posted in the Daily Cougar.
“I am confident that Rohini has the ability to learn from this experience and become a better leader and a better person,” Smith added in the statement. “I will join Rohini in many of the assignments listed below and will encourage other members of SGA to do so, as well.”
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