University of Michigan officials are considering a request from white nationalist speaker Richard Spencer's organization to speak on the Ann Arbor campus.
An email was sent to the university from Spencer's National Policy Instituteasking to reserve space on campus for him to speak.
University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald says they are in the beginning process of looking at venues and how that might work and says they will paying close attention to the safety and security of the community in making a decision.
"High profile speakers are not new on our campus, and we always just look carefully at how to best accommodate the specific requirements of speakers and whether that can be done or not in a safe way for our community," says Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald says free speech is a core value at U of M and will be closely considered in making a decision about the request.
Michigan State University recently rejected a similar request for Spencer to speak on campus, citing safety concerns. A federal lawsuit has been filed challenging that decision.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
