Scottsdale real estate investor Tom Lewis has announced that he will not be fulfilling his annual $400,000 pledge to Arizona State University's honors college.
Lewis, who has donated millions to the university over the past two decades, cited "left-wing hostility and activism" as the reason for his decision. The move comes after a faculty member was allegedly fired for organizing on-campus events featuring prominent conservative speakers.
The controversy began when Ann Atkinson, executive director of the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development, organized an event in February that featured conservative commentators Dennis Prager, Charlie Kirk, and Robert Kiyosaki. Around three dozen faculty members from the Barrett, The Honors College, where the center is located, signed a petition condemning the event and referring to the speakers as "purveyors of hate."
Jenny Dyck Brian, chair of the Barrett faculty, expressed concerns about the honors college appearing to endorse the event. She clarified, "I didn't have a problem with them speaking, but the event was being advertised in Barrett's name with Barrett's logo... We wanted to make it clear that we were not endorsing the event."
Despite the event proceeding without any disturbances, Atkinson was fired several months later. In a public statement, she suggested that her termination was politically motivated, claiming that ASU parted ways with her for bringing right-wing speakers to campus. ASU, however, denied these allegations, stating that Atkinson's termination was a result of Lewis withdrawing his donation, which funded her position.
ASU released a statement on June 20, asserting that Atkinson's job would no longer exist after June 30 due to the termination of Lewis' donation. The university emphasized that this was not an unprecedented occurrence and highlighted the success of the "Health, Wealth and Happiness" event, which drew over 600 attendees.
In response to ASU's statement, Lewis issued a press release criticizing the university's hostility towards conservative thought. He expressed his lack of confidence in Barrett's ability to uphold the terms of their agreement and announced the termination of their partnership, effective June 30, 2023. Lewis expressed regret over the decision and called on Barrett and ASU to take action to protect free speech and ensure that all voices are heard.
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