Newt Gingrich spoke at Catholic University Tuesday, prompting discussion about the university's restrictive speaker policy, which bars any speaker who does not represent Catholic values.
The university's College Democrats said Gingrich's campus appearance violated the school's speaker policy because his past extramarital affair and support of the death penalty were anti-Catholic values.
In response to the controversy, Catholic University spokesman Victor Nakas told The Washington Post that Gingrich was allowed to speak because the Catholic Church doesn't "necessarily forbid" capital punishment, and he is not a public advocate for adultery.
In the past, abortion rights speakers such as Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.) and actor Stanley Tucci were not allowed to speak on campus. The College Democrats said that the university has rejected speakers from many campus organizations, including the College Republicans.
"I think that above all, the University needs to remember it is just that, a University, a place for learning across the political and religious spectrum," said Frank Lanky, president of the Catholic University College Democrats.
The College Democrats launched a "Say No to Newt" campaign, saying that allowing a pro-death penalty speaker but not a pro-choice speaker was unfair.
"If the College Republicans were to keep having their speakers banned from campus, I would support their efforts to fight for academic freedom and free speech," Lanky said.
