The University of Wisconsin-Madison opened a formal investigation into registered student organization (RSO) Animal Advocacy over its promotion of the April 18 Ridglan Farms raid, examining whether the group violated campus posting policies and Wisconsin laws related to soliciting criminal activity.
The investigation centers on whether Animal Advocacy crossed the line between protected political advocacy and unlawful promotion of criminal conduct after the group shared materials linking students to a blog whose posts outlined plans for an “open rescue” at Ridglan Farms, where activists attempted to remove beagles from the breeding facility. University officials argue the organization may have promoted illegal activity, while student leaders say the investigation threatens First Amendment protections for campus activism.
In an interview with The Daily Cardinal, Animal Advocacy President Jackson Ray described Animal Advocacy as a student-led animal rights organization focused on helping students channel their concern for animal welfare into constructive action within the community.
“Our mission really is to try and get students who are passionate about animals and care about animals into the positions or avenues of change that they feel drawn towards,” Ray told the Cardinal. “Student activism should be a key part of any college campus, and I think that the administration often claims to be behind these activists and to support that dialogue.”
The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) notified Ray that it was investigating allegations that the group violated UW-Madison’s expressive activity policy by “improperly post[ing] fliers for a speaking event” and encouraging unlawful entry into Ridglan Farms before the April 18 protest, according to a notice obtained by The Daily Cardinal.
UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas confirmed the university is reviewing Animal Advocacy's possible violations of RSO codes of conduct, including campus posting rules and Wisconsin statutes prohibiting solicitation of burglary and the release of a lawfully confined animal, in an email to The Daily Cardinal.
UW-Madison’s investigation is not a criminal investigation though Animal Advocacy’s violation of state laws are being investigated, Lucas said. Solicitation of a burglary is a Class F felony in Wisconsin, and soliciting the release of an animal is a Class H felony.
The investigation follows the club's circulation of a blog by Wayne Hsiung, an animal rights lawyer facing felony burglary charges for organizing and participating in March 15 and April 18 “open rescue” attempts at Ridglan Farms. Animal Advocacy was never officially involved in the attempts, though some of its members took part in the April 18 action.
Ridglan has previously faced over 300 violations related to mistreating dogs. Previous attempts by activists to rescue beagles have led to multiple arrests for burglary. Some of Hsiung’s posts encouraged participants to remove beagles from Ridglan Farms’s facility in a large-scale planned action.
Ray received an email on April 17, before the investigation began, from Barb Kautz-Wittwer, interim director for the Office for Student Organizations, Leadership and Involvement, regarding a flyer posted on campus.
“As a student organization leader there is an expectation that you take reasonable steps to ensure that all activities, communications, and advocacy efforts conducted by or promoted on behalf of your organization align with university policies and remain within the bounds of the law,” Kautz-Wittwer said in the email, which Ray provided to the Cardinal.
The flyer contained a QR code linked to a Google Doc with resources for student activism around the Ridglan raid, including a link to Hsiung’s blog at the beginning of the document. Kautz-Wittwer said Animal Advocacy “promote[d] activities that are encouraging criminal acts” by linking the blog.
The document also listed methods of activism, including contacting local representatives, signing a petition and joining Animal Advocacy. Ray told the Cardinal the club posted the posters April 13 to encourage students to advocate against Ridglan Farms.
“We linked one of Wayne Hsiung's blog posts explaining the plan for the ‘open rescue,’ which is the illegal part in their [UW’s] eyes,” Ray said. “They're saying… even though the intent was purely informational… that because we had that link to the blog post in that document, we were soliciting burglary.”
OSCCS told Ray that if it is “more likely true than not that Animal Advocacy violated rules,” the office will recommend sanctions and the organization will have seven days to request a hearing.
“No matter how this case ends, other judicial bodies may pursue or continue their own investigations into Animal Advocacy or its members related to the case,” the office said in the email.
Ray told the Cardinal the club’s actions are protected under the First Amendment.
“If Animal Advocacy were to actually end up facing disciplinary sanctions for this, I think it would set a scary precedent for future activism on animals,” Ray said. “They were coming after a student organization that was trying to mobilize students to participate in political advocacy, which is at the heart of the First Amendment.”
Animal Advocacy is challenging the investigation legally, but Ray said smaller clubs might not have the resources to do the same.
“Imagine other smaller organizations that weren't prepared for this, who are really just trying to exercise their First Amendment,” Ray said. “It's a scary thought to know that UW administration can launch an investigation at any time, and if you're not prepared, it can potentially lead to the silencing of that advocacy.”
OSCCS also questioned Ray on a poster and event page advertising an April 16 talk on East Campus Mall with Zoe Rosenberg, a 23-year-old animal activist who was released earlier this year from a 90-day jail sentence for removing live chickens from a poultry farm. The event was titled “What Does a Conviction Mean for the Right to Rescue?”
An email from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards sent to the president of Animal Advocacy.
“UW-Madison embraces the free expression rights of students and employees, within the boundaries of the law, and does not involve itself in their personal activities,” UW-Madison spokesperson Gillian Drummond said in a statement to the Cardinal April 17, prior to the Ridglan Farms raid. “All instances of criminal conduct by students in Madison and Dane County are forwarded for possible application of UWS standards for non-academic misconduct.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Campus news editor Sonia Bendre contributed reporting to this story.
