Ruth Malhotra and Orit Sklar unleashed all the worst furies of the Left when they stood up in support of their faith and their conservative views on the campus of Georgia Tech. The two united in their vocal opposition to the school’s ironclad speech codes, which severely curtailed any student conversation, publications, events, or activities administrators arbitrarily deemed “intolerant.” The codes banned free exchange of ideas except in very limited areas of campus, denied student activity funds to clubs and organizations that engaged in ‘religious activities,’ and officials even instituted a program, “Safe Space,” designed to demonize anyone or any group that considered homosexual behavior immoral.
When Ruth and Orit asked the Alliance Defending Freedom to sue Georgia Tech on their behalf, they found themselves mocked, cursed, defamed on posters, and threatened with rape and even murder. University officials offered virtually no protection or support, so outside police were assigned to protect the girls for the duration of their time on campus.
The young women’s courage was rewarded when their case ended victoriously. Georgia Tech was forced to eliminate their anti-religious program and remove the speech code that violated the First Amendment. This critical outcome serves as a precedent for other schools around the country to abandon their similar speech codes and censorship.
