The Ohio University American Civil Liberties Union Student Group hosts “You Have The Right To Protest” with attorney Patrick “Set ‘em Free” McGee on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. Bentley 120.
McGee will speak about the rights of protesters in light of current political climates as well as the Ohio University Interim Freedom of Expression Policy. The policy received widespread attention from higher education forums, the Chicago Tribune, as well as the ACLU of Ohio.
McGee graduated from Ohio University in 1974 and the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1978. He is the Managing Attorney of the Center for Student Legal Services, and a member of the Athens City Council. After the arrests of the Baker 70 in February 2017, McGee represented the majority of the students. After winning acquittal of the first student who took his case to trial, charges against the remaining defendants were dropped.
Attorney Patrick McGee
The ACLU of Ohio condemned the policy in October as being unconstitutional.
“We are excited to host Mr. McGee, a true hometown hero with a long record of defending student rights,” said Senior War & Peace Studies major Nick Concilla, president of the ACLU-OU. “We decided to choose Attorney McGee for this event because he is such an integral part of the community and is well versed in protesting debacles after representing members of the Baker 70.”
“We want the program to ensure that students know what they are getting into when they decide to protest,” added junior Gabrielle Tharp, events manager of the group. “Protesting is an important part of our political system and it is important for students to be aware of exactly what their rights are and what they can and cannot do in this format.”
Students who are interesting in joining the ACLU-OU group should contact Tharp at gt380914@ohio.edu.
Comments