Umpqua Community College: Nursing Student Expelled for Imaginative Discussion Post

In February 2021, UCC nursing student Kaylyn Willis responded to an online discussion assignment prompting students to use their “critical imagining” to reflect on patients with chronic illness losing their support systems. Willis’ response, imagining a scenario in which an individual with ALS shot and killed her husband, resulted in her expulsion from the program, citing her insensitivity to a 2015 shooting at UCC. On August 16, FIRE wrote to UCC arguing that punishing Willis for her post was unconstitutional and calling for her readmittance. On September 1, UCC responded, refusing to rescind Willis’ removal from the program.