After Winthrop University denied Riley Dill a Students for Life of America (SFLA) group for being “too emotional a topic,” Dill bravely stood up for her pro-life free speech rights. With the help of SFLA’s legal counsel, Dill walked away from the situation with a swift victory and is now the president of Winthrop Students for Life!   

“I’ve heard many stories about universities denying pro-life or conservative groups, but I never thought I’d be one of those tales,” Dill wrote. “But here I am, fighting for my pro-life and free speech rights on my college campus.”  

READ: “Too Emotional Topic”: Student DENIED Students for Life of America Group at Winthrop University SPEAKS OUT  

Dill gathered all the necessary resources required by Winthrop, including a faculty advisor and enough interested students. However, the Council of Student Leaders didn’t seem keen on Dill’s pro-life proposal.   

“After questioning…the vice president told me that my SFLA group had been tabled, meaning there was no ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ but I would need to come back again and explain more later, though they were unable to give me a straight answer as to why,” wrote Dill. “About two weeks later, I had my second opportunity to fight for my group. I debunked everything they wanted me to, to the point where there were no questions after my presentation by the council (compared to the first hearing, where there were 20 minutes of questions). The council vice president and the dean of students approached me, announcing the council had entirely denied the group.”  

Dill leaned on SFLA’s legal counsel to send a letter demanding that her free speech rights be honored at Winthrop University, a public institution.   

Dill’s bravery forced Winthrop University to admit their mistake and correct this wrong. Within a week of receiving the demand letter, Winthrop University recognized Winthrop Students for Life as a new student organization. Furthermore, the University redirected the authority to make new student organizations’ determinations away from the Council of Student Leaders (CSL), reallocating this important responsibility to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs with oversight responsibility from the President of Winthrop.  

“This free speech victory with Students for Life at Winthrop University is more than just a policy win—it’s a reminder that every student, regardless of their beliefs, deserves a voice on campus,” said Dill. “Protecting that right isn’t just about the First Amendment; it’s about ensuring that diverse ideas can be expressed and heard in a respectful, open environment. This moment reaffirms our commitment to standing up for the freedoms that make dialogue and progress possible.” 

Not all free speech cases have happy endings, but we’re pleased that the Winthrop administration was quick to correct its errors and protect the freedom of speech and freedom of expression of students on campus. This happened because of Riley’s courage and unwillingness to back down. 

SFLA Legal Operations Supervisor Olivia Torralba praised Dill’s tenacity and the importance of college campuses allowing thoughtful and meaningful discussions about the most important human rights issue of our day: abortion.   

“It is ridiculous that Dill and other like-minded students were almost silenced to protect other people’s emotions,” said Torralba. “The death of millions of preborn children should naturally stir up your emotions because abortion is the greatest human rights injustice of our time. That doesn’t mean that the conversation should be shut down. Rather, it should encourage educators to open conversation and allow these discussions. We are thankful to Dill for speaking up when she was told to be silent, and we appreciate Winthrop’s swift action and correction to honor free speech and education on preborn lives and the horror of abortion.” 

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