University says pro-Trump poster is offensive
Todd Starnes,
Al Roker, the Today Show’s chief weather-guesser, has been crisscrossing the fruited plain attempting to set world records at various universities.
On March 27 Roker helped students at the University of Oklahoma set the world record for largest human image of a cloud and largest human image of a lightning bolt.
But civil engineering major Levi Kell was not among the students who set the world record inside the university’s football stadium. That’s because Levi was escorted from the premises after he refused to turn over a homemade poster supporting President Trump.
Levi’s sign read, “Trump is our president.” The letters “OU” were colored in Sooner red.
An unnamed woman stopped him and told Levi he would not be allowed to enter the stadium with the sign.
I invited Levi to tell his story on my Fox News Talk radio program.
“She said that Trump is not a positive figure to have on our campus or the Today Show,” he said. “I said, ‘Ma’am, it’s just stating a fact – that Trump is our president.”
She relented and allowed Levi to enter the stadium – only to be stopped by a second individual.
“He said that I could not have the sign in the stadium because Trump is offensive,” he recounted.
A third person eventually approached Levi and told him that he could not remain in the stadium with the sign.
Levi pointed out that a group of anti-Trump supporters had been allowed to carry signs into the stadium.
“He said I could not have the sign because the letters O and U in red are trademarked by the university,” Levi said.
Levi refused to part ways with his sign – so he agreed to leave – under escort.
“There are lots of campus protests over the president,” Levi told me. “My sign was just stating a fact. I wasn’t trying to offend anyone.”
A university spokesman defended their decision.
“While political expression is allowed generally in public spaces on our campus, the university places reasonable restrictions on expression within its facilities, like Monday morning’s taping at the stadium,” spokesman Rowdy Gilbert told me.
Gilbert also addressed the issue of the anti-Trump posters that were reportedly inside the stadium.
“We did not permit attendees to display political messages of any kind during the event,” Gilbert said. “OU officials identified and removed two posters – of opposite political viewpoints – from the event.”
Quite frankly, the university’s decision is OUtrageous. And yes, I did use the letters O and U. I’ll be sure to let you know when the university’s legal department sends me a cease and desist letter.
