Alligator representatives met with UF officials last week to discuss postponing the removal of Alligator racks from campus, but no decision was reached.
The Alligator faces an Aug. 15 deadline to remove 19 newspaper racks from campus, which make up about 80 percent of the newspaper’s circulation.
Alligator attorney Tom Julin proposed delaying the deadline, moving and adding rack locations on campus and having retired economics professor David Denslow complete his data analysis.
The only tense moment was an exchange between Julin and UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes.
Sikes made a comment about the Alligator not covering a presidential search committee meeting.
Julin called it “disconcerting” because the meeting was about distribution, not content regulation, which has been a concern for the Alligator about university-owned racks.
Amy Hass, UF’s deputy general counsel, said she will make her clients aware of their First Amendment obligations.
“We have zero intent now or in the future to try and regulate anyone’s content,” she said.
The meeting ended with Hass saying she would get back to the Alligator.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
