Young America's Foundation v. Stenger

Alliance Defending Freedom and King & Spalding attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of Young America’s Foundation, College Republicans for the State University of New York at Binghamton, and a Binghamton student, challenging the unconstitutional actions and policies of the university that facilitated a mob’s disruption of a conservative speaker.

Case timeline

• November 2019: SUNY Binghamton officials facilitated the disruption of a speech by Dr. Art Laffer.
• June 2020: ADF filed a lawsuit against the SUNY Binghamton officials who shut down free speech.
• November 2023: YAF and the College Republicans filed an amended complaint focused on the university officials and the Student Association.
• March 2025: The court granted summary judgment to President Stenger and Vice President Rose and dismissed the claims for injunctive and declaratory relief, leaving claims against the university police chief and the Student Association.
• January 2026: The court dismissed the remaining claims against the Student Association, leaving First Amendment and equal protection claims against the police chief to go to trial.
• July 2026: After a trial, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the police chief, and the district court entered judgment against YAF and the College Republicans.
• August 2026: YAF and the College Republicans appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.