UNC Protestors Shut Down On-Campus Speech

UNC Rolls Out Crisis PR Response, But Is It Effective?

An incident this week at UNC-Chapel Hill has sparked outcry, and the school, still enjoying a glowing reputation in the wake of its NCAA basketball title,  has had to cut the honeymoon short with a crisis PR campaign.

Former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo was scheduled to speak on UNC’s campus on Tuesday night, but things didn’t go as planned. (Or maybe they did, depending on who you ask.) Tancredo, an outspoken critic of immigration and in-state tuition benefits for unauthorized immigrants, was met by hundreds of angry protestors upon his arrival to Bingham Hall on the Chapel Hill campus.

As Tancredo tried to begin his lecture amid shouts of profanity and insults, two women stretched a 12-foot long banner across the room declaring: “No dialogue with hate.” The women were forcefully removed from the room by campus police officers and joined the overflow mob of protestors who stood in the hall. Police officers sprayed pepper spray into the air and also discharged a Taser, sending sparks into the air.

Police spokesman Randy Young said the pepper spray was “broadcast” to clear the hallway. He said officers’ use of force was under investigation by the department.

Meanwhile, Tancredo again tried to begin speaking, only to be silenced again by another large banner blocking his stage and angry shouts. As Tancredo engaged in a tug-of-war with the two women holding the banner, the sound of breaking glass interrupted the scene.

At that point, Tancredo was escorted by police out of the building.

A Proactive Response

In a crisis situation like this, the best asset an organization can have  on its side is a well-prepared communication team on their side — and UNC’s response has been effective thus far. Chancellor Holden Thorp released a prepared statement Tuesday evening that read: “We’re very sorry that former Congressman Tancredo wasn’t able to speak. We pride ourselves on being a place where all points of view can be expressed and heard, so I’m disappointed that didn’t happen tonight. I think our Public Safety officers appropriately handled a difficult situation.”

This statement was issued in a timely fashion and put support behind the University’s actions. While the situation is far from over, UNC made the first move, which is the best way to deal with crises. By issuing this statement immediately, speculation and spin were eliminated from the next day’s front page stories in local papers.

Thorp sent an e-mail out to the entire student body yesterday, using strong language to express his discontent with the actions of student protestors. His e-mail read: “There’s a way to protest that respects free speech and allows people with opposing views to be heard. Here, that’s often meant that groups protesting a speaker have displayed signs or banners, silently expressing their opinions while the speaker had his or her say. That didn’t happen last night.”

Thorpe continued, “On behalf of our University community, I called Mr. Tancredo today to apologize for how he was treated. In addition, our Department of Public Safety is investigating this incident. They will pursue criminal charges if any are warranted.”

Thorp, still in his first year as chancellor, is accruing a great deal of respect in properly handling the situation both internally and in the public realm. The last piece of the puzzle? Take a cue from the organizing group and invite Tancredo back on the University’s dime. (Expect protestors again, but facilitate a safer setup to show that controversial speakers shouldn’t be afraid to step foot on campus.)

UNC has a less-than-stellar history of speaker controversies. It’s time to take a proactive stance in repairing that perception.

Photo via Flickr