Republican members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce are condemning the ambush at San Francisco State University by transgender activists on Riley Gaines, a former NCAA All-American swimmer.
The 13 lawmakers' comments came in a Friday letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona signed by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the committee, and 12 others.
"We are appalled at the treatment swimmer Riley Gaines received on April 6, 2023, as an invited speaker at San Francisco State University — a recipient of approximately $58 million in federal education funds over the preceding 12 months," the lawmakers said.
"Ms. Gaines' reception at SFSU was aggressive and violent, unbefitting any institution of higher learning, let alone one that receives federal funding.
"As Ms. Gaines has publicly stated, immediately after speaking she was harassed, subjected to insults, cursed, chased down a hallway, and physically struck two times. The situation got so disorderly that SFSU campus police had to escort her to a safe room where she had to remain for several hours to ensure her safety."
In March, after ESPN hailed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for Women's History Month, Gaines had shot back at the network, and at Thomas, who is a biological man, and the NCAA.
During the incident at SFSU, Gaines videoed herself being ambushed by the transgender activists and claimed she was hit by one of them.
The incident happened after she tried to address a Turning Point USA event at the university.
She tweeted video of the ambush and noted: "The prisoners are running the asylum at SFSU ... I was ambushed and physically hit twice by a man. This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces. Still only further assures me I'm doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder."
In their letter to Cardona, the lawmakers demanded the Education Department provide documents relating to what the department has done over the last 12 months to ensure the safety of invited speakers and "encourage the full range of intellectual discourse" at public colleges.
"The indirect attack on free speech which Ms. Gaines endured is a serious threat to our Constitutionally protected right to free speech: as a direct response to her speech, Ms. Gaines, was cursed, subjected to harassment and insults, chased down a hallway, put in reasonable fear for her own safety, and in her own words was 'hit twice by a man.' This experience may discourage others — whether invited speakers, SFSU students, or professors — from voicing positions which are unpopular among their peers, fearing similar violent treatment from those who disagree with them.
"SFSU's handling of the event was similarly inadequate. The lack of meaningful preparation by the SFSU security was self-evident.
"Furthermore, rather than condemning such violent behavior, SFSU's president Lynn Mahoney minimized the abhorrent conduct of the students, describing the conduct merely as 'a disturbance after the event concluded that delayed the speaker's departure.' The president did indicate SFSU would review the incident and, as always, will learn from the experience. We can only hope that such a review is thorough, is conducted swiftly, and that steps will be taken to ensure this does not happen again."
Gaines, speaking to Newsmax earlier this month said she doesn't understand the response given by officials at SFSU, praising the protesters after she was ambushed.
"They applauded these students for their bravery and for listening in such a difficult conversation," Gaines said on "John Bachman Now." "I didn't realize expressing how men and women are different is controversial. It shouldn't be controversial for these students, this administration, or even the campus police."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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