Officials confiscated a University student's sign that read "Fire Groh" at Saturday's football game, prompting some questions regarding the athletic department's policy on signs at sporting events.
The student, third-year Engineering student David Becker, said he was initially given permission to hold up the sign when he asked a member of the event staff at the gates of Scott Stadium. Later in the game, another member of the staff instructed Becker to put the sign down.
"I didn't have a problem until the third quarter," Becker said. "The head of event staff of the field -- he took it [the sign] from me."
According to the athletics Web site, Virginiasports.com, signs, flags and banners may not "contain derogatory comments, profanity, impede another guest's view of the field or cover any stadium signage."
Jason Bauman, associate athletics director for facilities and operations, affirmed that the sign violated the policy.
"That sign does not fall within our policy," Bauman said. "It didn't contain any profanity. It just violated venue policy."
Becker said the event staff at the game did not give a specific reason for confiscating the sign.
"I tried to ask them why he took it and [I] didn't get an answer," Becker said. "He just walked away, folded it up and threw it on the ground."
According to Becker, after his first sign was taken away, he promptly made a new one that also read "Fire Groh", but was smaller, in case it violated the rule stating that a sign may not "impede another guest's view." Again, however, he said the event staff confiscated it without a word. After the third sign, the staff member said if Becker made another sign, he would be asked to leave, according to Becker.
"The whole reason I kept making more was because I wanted an explanation," Becker said. "If nobody would talk to me when I would try to ask them if I could get an explanation, I was going to keep trying to do something to get them to come over."
Though the athletic department continues to stand fast by its statement that the sign violated venue policy, Becker said he sees this censoring as a violation of his right to free speech.
"They're obviously saying that if I'm not in support of the coach, then I shouldn't be voicing my opinion," Becker said. "I just find that a little absurd."
After the game, Becker said he spoke to the head of the event staff at the gate, who informed Becker that he also saw no reason why the sign should be prohibited. Bauman, however, said there should have been no reason for confusion.
"The instructions to the staff were that this kind of signage violates venue policy," Bauman said. "I don't know who was at the gate."
While the specific reason as to why the sign was not allowed remains unclear, the removal of signs like Becker's does have a precedent.
"It's not inconsistent with what we've done," Bauman said. "When [former Virginia basketball] coach [Pete] Gillen was here, there were signs that said 'Fire Gillen', and we didn't allow those to be displayed."
Becker, however, is determined to pursue the matter until he gets a more specific reason as to why the sign was against the policy.
"If they can show me where a 'Fire Groh' sign is against the rules, then maybe I'll drop it," Becker said. "It wasn't obscene, it wasn't an inappropriate sign, and I just held it up."
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