The College Fix

George Mason University lifts no-contact order after federal lawsuit

Two female law students can now freely criticize tampons in men’s bathrooms at Georgia Mason University without fear of reprisal.

Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom announced a settlement in its lawsuit against the Virginia public university.

The university censored two students, Selene Cerankosky and Maria Arcara, ordering them not to talk to a peer who wanted “feminine hygiene products” available in men’s bathrooms.

“GMU also agreed to change its policy to ensure that no-contact orders cannot be used to suppress, coerce, or punish the exercise of First Amendment rights and to pay Selene and Maria $15,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees,” ADF announced on Jan 31.

The resolution follows an incident that began last September.

The Antonin Scalia Law School students posted about safety issues about allowing women to use men’s bathrooms, as that would promote men using women’s bathrooms. Cerankosky and Arcara (pictured) were both responding to a specific question in a group text message asking for opinions about the proposal.

“Their classmate, who had claimed to be their representative to the student government and initially promised to ‘advocate for all’ students and viewpoints, responded by mocking their concerns and labeling their views as bigoted for questioning others’ gender identity,” according to the lawsuit.

Soon after the Sept. 2024 message exchange, the campus DEI office placed no-contact orders on the two students, forbidding them from talking to the student who asked for their opinions.

Both are Christians who oppose gender ideology.

Alliance Defending Freedom said universities, especially law schools, must promote free discussion – especially law schools.

“We applaud [the university’ for engaging in a dialogue about how no-contact orders are used on campus and for working with ADF to improve its procedures,” Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer stated in a news release.

The statement continued:

ADF hopes these new measures will allow the university to continue to support students, maintain a safe environment, and foster the robust exchange of ideas that is the cornerstone of a college experience. Selene, Maria, and their fellow law students can now feel more confident that their fundamental freedoms of speech and religion will be respected on campus.

The group has previously defended a graduate student in Illinois who posted conservative content on her private social media account and shared similar ideas with her peers via class and messages.

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville dropped its own no-contact orders following a federal lawsuit from the legal advocacy group.

Editor’s note: The article has been updated with a new headline about men’s bathrooms.

MORE: Check out the campus cancel culture database

IMAGE: Courtesy of Alliance Defending Freedom

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