Orange County Judge Joseph Buckner dismissed a charge Monday against University of North Carolina (UNC) senior Haley Koch for disturbing the peace in an educational institution. Koch and six non-students were arrested on April 14 for protesting a talk by former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. Some of the six protesters received fines while others saw their cases dismissed or were found not guilty.

The protest and speech at UNC led to a firestorm of criticism against the University and the protestors last year. Student organizers of Youth for Western Civilization, the organization that invited Tancredo, argued that the University should have been harsher towards protestors for attempting to stop Tancredo’s speech. Protestors, meanwhile, countered that they too had a right to be heard. 

Judge Buckner dismissed Koch's case because he "found that Koch’s actions did not interfere with academic activity." The Daily Tar Heel explains that Koch's protest inside the classroom consisted of holding a banner and speaking over someone trying to introduce Tancredo. A videotape was a large component of Koch's defense. “The videotape showed so much,” said Bob Ekstrand, Koch’s lawyer. “When Haley was asked to leave, she left. That’s probably the biggest reason it could be resolved on the facts, instead of the First Amendment issue.”

While the court case may be over, the debate continues. Over a dozen students rallied with signs outside the courthouse on the day of the hearing, urging for the case to be dismissed and for the student group Youth for Western Civilization to be disbanded.

Koch will meet with Chancellor Holden Thorp in the coming weeks to discuss issues of free speech on campus.

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