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Auburn University will pay almost $30,000 to settle a federal lawsuit that allowed white nationalist Richard Spencer to speak on campus last month.
Spencer’s appearance at the Alabama public university drew protesters from across the country and led to several arrests. He is a leader of the “alt-right,” a movement he helped name, characterized by its white supremacist and racist viewpoints.
Cameron Padgett, a student who said he hailed from Georgia, rented a space from Auburn in April for Spencer’s talk, though administrators initially canceled the appearance amid safety concerns.
Padgett filed a lawsuit in federal court April 18, the day Spencer was slated to speak, alleging Auburn had violated his First Amendment rights. That afternoon U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins ruled in Padgett’s favor, clearing Spencer to speak on campus.
Watkins dismissed the case Friday following a joint agreement from Padgett and university officials, including the Board of Trustees, the president and other administrators.
Auburn will pay $29,900 in legal fees to "avoid more costly litigation costs," according to a university statement.
Spencer has spoken at other institutions, including Texas A&M University. He led a protest Sunday in Charlottesville, Va., over plans to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
