To the editor:

On March 29, I attended a Vickers Lecture Series at the Lied Center. My two sons invited me to the lecture. One is a graduate of Kansas University, and one is a current student at the university. Both felt I would be interested in hearing Ann Coulter speak.

I was prepared to listen to a lecture from the speaker in an educational institution that should pride itself in allowing speakers from different spectrums of the political arena to air opinions. What I observed was a complete lack of respect for Ms. Coulter’s views with a complete breakdown in controlling members of the audience bent on disrupting Ms. Coulter’s discourse.

As a professional educator, I was appalled at the disruptive behavior allowed during the lecture. A lecture is not designed as a shouting match between the lecturer and audience members or as a debate. A question-and-answer period was provided at the end; this was the time to pose intelligent questions to the speaker. There were students at the event that did damage to the image of the university as an institution that respects diverse opinions discussed in an open and tolerant forum.

The boorish behavior by a few members of the audience made this a less-than-enjoyable evening. Ms. Coulter deserves an apology from the university’s administration and from those responsible for organizing the event. The behavior exhibited by a handful of attendees reduces the likelihood other speakers of Ms Coulter’s political views will participate in similar events at the campus.

Dawn Weston,

Leavenworth