Carnegie Mellon president reopens The Fence, says Trump visit angered many on campus
Carnegie Mellon University’s president on Monday lifted the temporary prohibition on painting its iconic campus fence and acknowledged that last week’s visit to campus by President Donald Trump “angered and hurt” members of the school community.
University President Farnam Jahanian shut down The Fence last Thursday in response to messages about Trump that said “Shame on You” and “No Rapists on Our Campus.” Painted by CMU College Democrats, the messages referenced Trump being found liable in a civil trial of sexual abuse and defamation in 2023.
In a letter issued Monday to the campus community, Jahanian announced that after meeting with members of the Faculty Senate, the Staff Council, the Alumni Association Board and the Board of Trustees, The Fence — considered a sacred space of student expression — is open for messages once again.
“We all agreed that the use of The Fence has impacts and implications beyond an individual or group’s right to speak their mind, especially when you consider engagement at The Fence over the past few years,” Jahanian’s letter said.
“Sexual violence causes profound harm, and I regret that my previous message did not unequivocally acknowledge the pain of sexual assault,” the letter said. “As I often say in the context of free speech, the speaker should bear the responsibility for conveying the true intent of their message, not the listener. There are no excuses. I am deeply sorry.
“I also fully acknowledge that the presence of President Trump on our campus has angered and hurt many in our community.”
Jahanian also acknowledged the need to discuss how to engage with the Trump administration, whose policies and severe funding cuts have rocked institutions of higher education across the country.
“How we engage with the federal government — especially on policies and positions that … undermine our mission or are at odds with our values — is a legitimate and complex conversation, and we should continue to have that dialogue,” he wrote in the letter.
Trump was on campus last Tuesday to attend the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, organized by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, which brought together hundreds of leaders in the tech, energy and AI sectors as well as members of Trump’s Cabinet.
College Democrats painted the inflammatory messages the night before the visit. The school painted them over once and then again after the students restored the messages.
“This most recent instance crossed a line — not because of its viewpoint, but because of its personal, unaccountable nature, which undermined the spirit of civil discourse that had led up to it,” Jahanian said last week.
Jahanian temporarily closed The Fence on Thursday to discuss possible rule and regulation changes going forward.
Late Sunday night, a group of CMU students, including the school’s College Democrats, built and painted an entirely new fence outside of Warner Hall, which houses the president’s office.
Messages on the makeshift fence included “Black Lives Matter,” “Republican is not a bad word,” “Stronger than hate,” “Don’t let them choose,” and in the middle section of the fence, “This is the speech we’re protecting.”
The College Democrats could not be reached for comment on Monday.
On Monday, Jahanian said The Fence was reopening with “no new rules or changes to the tradition to convey. I only ask for our community members to consider the impact of their words on others, and the collateral damage of dialogue that takes place through slogans.”
Anthony Cacciato, president of the CMU College Republicans, said he feels “cautiously optimistic” after reading Jahanian’s latest letter.
Student groups from across the political spectrum blasted Jahanian for closing down The Fence.
Cacciato said he was relieved the university decided to uphold the previous rules and regulations governing use of The Fence as a medium of free speech on campus. He added he hopes CMU will hold town halls when discussing issues of free speech on campus.
Jahanian said he plans to consult over the summer with representatives from campus groups, such as student government, to determine what engagement with The Fence will look like for the fall semester.
Megan Trotter is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at mtrotter@triblive.com.
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