George Washington University's struggle with contested speech

One of the more interesting cases of contested speech emerged from George Washington University's condemnation and then reversal regarding posters depicting Chinese athletes in the 2022 Winter Olympics committing human rights violations. The GWU Chinese Students and Scholars Association "called the posters 'seriously racist' and said they 'insulted China'" which led GWU President Mark Wrighton to release an email saying, "Your reaching out to me directly is much appreciated, and we are working to have all of these offensive posters removed as soon as possible."

Wrighton subsequently reversed his condemnation and labeled the posters as political commentary rather than racist in nature. "These responses were mistaken. Every member of the GW community should feel welcome and supported, but I should have taken more time to understand the entire situation before commenting."

This case demonstrates the very difficult position campus administrators face when contested speech emerges. There is pressure to act quickly in condemnation of speech that offends any group on campus, especially if the group is influential (as full-pay Chinese international students surely are). However, as campuses strive to fulfill their role in cultivating the insights and skills essential to democracy, tensions around critical thinking and fostering an open marketplace of ideas will inevitably emerge.