‘You’re free to say whatever you want, as long as it’s what we want you to say’

Less than a year after Washburn University made national news for infringing upon Mabee Library employees’ First Amendment rights, it has refused those same rights to a student.

Honor Duvall, a starter for the women’s basketball team, was suspended for one game after a physical altercation during a game in Oklahoma.

Duvall sent a letter to The Topeka Capital-Journal, profusely apologizing for her actions. Not a private letter. One that would be seen by tens of thousands of people, because she wanted the entire community to know how regretful she was of her actions.

She even agreed to conduct an interview with The Capital- Journal – an opportunity to explain herself. But her choice to tell her side, to publicly explain herself and ask for forgiveness, was taken away by Washburn “oficials.”

We, the Executive Staff at The Washburn Review, irmly believe Honor should exercise her right to free speech and give the interview anyway.

Yes, based on backlash our own reporters have faced from Washburn faculty in the past, there is a probable chance Honor will too be targeted, whether it be by defaming or insulting emails from faculty and students, or perhaps sanctions imposed at the command of the higher-ups.

But the fact remains: we will only be here for a short time. We will graduate and move on with our lives. But more and more young minds will continue to populate this campus, and we would just like to know two things. One, that Honor, and every student, is afforded the right to speak her mind. And two, that we fought for, quite frankly, justice, even though it meant standing up when nobody else would.