SC college suspended student for gun-related social media posts. Suit claims free speech
Horry-Georgetown Technical College is facing a lawsuit from a student it suspended over social media posts in a case highlighting the balance of free speech and school safety.
HGTC suspended Leigha Lemoine in September for a year from its cosmetology program and issued her a no-trespass notice after an internal investigation determined she violated student code by “engaging in any activity that disrupts the educational process of the college,” court records show.
The investigation stemmed from Lemoine posting in a Snapchat group chat that a person who disrespected her needed to “get blasted.” The person she was referring to was not associated with HGTC, but her classmates were included in the group chat and at least one reported concerns about the comment to administrators, according to court records.
The school initially ruled that the comment was acceptable after speaking with Lemoine about it, but administration decided to suspend her after finding an unrelated Instagram post from before she was enrolled where she was firing a handgun.
Lemoine alleges in her lawsuit that the suspension is retaliation for her expression of free speech protected by the First Amendment, and the school’s code of conduct is unconstitutionally vague.
Nicole Hyman, a spokeswoman for HGTC, wrote in a statement that the college seeks to maintain a safe environment for all of its students, employees and visitors.
“This suit seeks to challenge the manner in which the College has done this,” she wrote. “While the College respects all individuals’ rights, including their rights to freedom of expression, the College’s priority is to ensure the well-being and security of the entire campus community.”
Despite the apparent safety concerns, it’s not clear whether or not HGTC ever contacted law enforcement about Lemoine’s posts. The lawsuit doesn’t mention any police involvement, and Hyman did not confirm any law enforcement contact before publication.
Lemoine, who was receiving financial aid assistance and expected to graduate during Summer 2025, is seeking a court order to immediately lift the suspension and no-trespass order so that she can complete her current courses.
When HGTC initially interviewed Lemoine about the Snapchat comment, she denied that it referred to physically harming anyone, court records show. The complaint notes one definition of “blast” is to destroy or discredit someone’s reputation, as in “to put on blast.”
Lemoine also told administrators during that initial meeting that neither she nor her parents owned any guns or had any personal association with firearms, court records state.
But college officials later discovered an Instagram video from Nov. 2023 of Lemoine firing a handgun.
“In today’s climate, your failure to disclose the existence of the video, in conjunction with group text message on Snapchat where you used the term ‘blasted,’ causes concern about your ability to remain in the current Cosmetology cohort,” the college wrote in a letter to Lemoine explaining the suspension.
Lemoine told administrators that the video involved her doing target practice shooting a friend’s handgun at her friend’s private residence in North Carolina. She deleted the video and offered to allow college officials to search her belongings, but they declined, the complaint states.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 9:06 AM.
