Kent State could face suit

KENT — An attorney plans to file a lawsuit against Kent State University after he says he was not given a response regarding a proposed speaking engagement by white nationalist Richard Spencer.

Attorney Kyle Bristow of Bristow Law, a firm based in Michigan, said he not been given a response regarding a request made for Cameron Padgett, who has been booking Spencer for speaking events on college campuses across the country, to speak at KSU on May 4. Bristow said he had set a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to receive the university’s response.

Eric Mansfield, executive director of University Media Relation at KSU, said Friday the university did send a response to Bristow “reaffirming (KSU’s) earlier response that we cannot accommodate this request as no suitable space is available during the April 30-May 12 time frame.”

Padgett had requested to rent the Student Multicultural Center inside the KSU Student Center on May 4 with the plan of inviting Spencer to speak. That day in particular is typically busy on campus, with the university holding multiple events in remembrance of the four lives lost in 1970 when Ohio National Guardsman opened fire on a crowd.

Bristow sent the university a “pre-suit demand for compliance” to allow Padgett to rent a space at “an acceptable date and time to be agreed upon or else suit will be filed in federal court.”

Bristow said in an email Friday to the Record-Courier newspaper of Kent that he believes the denial is unconstitutional.