Confederate flag at UW-L sparks controversy

Students complained the 
flag was attached to grill of truck

A confederate flag attached to a semi-truck on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus Friday sparked controversy.

The flag attached to the front of a truck at a campus construction site.

Gow said in a letter released today, “our students were correct to express their concerns; and the UWL administration took the appropriate action in asking the truck driver to remove the flag while his vehicle was on our campus.”

The driver agreed to remove the flag. Had that person said no, Gow said there would have been nothing the school could have done, noting his First Amendment rights.

UW-L chancellor Joe Gow says the actions involving the confederate flag were entirely consistent with both protecting free speech and responding to an offensive display that was inconsistent with our campus values.