Do Contractors at the University of Illinois Have a Right to Display the Confederate Flag While Earning Money from Taxpayers?

The picture you see is a pickup truck that belongs to a contractor’s employee outside my building. I took the photo at 9:05 a.m. on May 23^rd.

The owner of this truck has a right to show a confederate flag on his truck.

His employer also has a right to fire him for displaying the flag.

The University also has a right to require the contractor to direct its employees not to show the Confederate flag on this campus.

Here’s support: Dixon v. Coburg Dairy, Inc., 330 F.3d 2003 (4th Cir 2003) (employer did not violate speech rights of employee who refused to remove a Confederate flag from his toolbox after a black employee complained that the flag was offensive); and Vanderhoff v. John Deere Consumer Products, Inc., 2003 WL 23691107 (D.S.C. 2003) (no wrongful discharge of employee who displayed a Confederate flag decal on his toolbox because the decal is not a “political opinion” under state law).

Does the University of Illinois have a policy of prohibiting contractors from displaying the Confederate flag, or a Nazi swastika? If not, why not?

The University of Illinois’ policy on inclusion states: “We are publicly reaffirming our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and pluralism as a priority and cornerstone of operations here at Illinois.” The Confederate flag is a symbol of white supremacy and intolerance.

For evidence, see the picture of Dylan Roof, who murdered nine African-Americans in cold blood during a prayer service in a black church that opened its doors to him.

Here’s hoping that this campus follows up by tracing this license plate.