Prosecutors have dropped a breach of peace charge filed against a conservative commentator over a confrontation he had with protesters at the University of Connecticut as he prepared to give a speech titled “It’s OK To Be White.”
Lucian Wintrich, the White House correspondent for the right-wing website Gateway Pundit, was charged after grabbing a woman who took his notes from the lectern last month.
Wintrich, who had argued he had every right to retrieve his property, said outside the courthouse Monday that he was pleased “the system corrected itself.”
“We don’t want to create a precedent that people can walk up to speeches they find disagreeable and steal them,” he said. “I mean that’s really not what America is about.”
The woman, Catherine Gregory, of Willimantic, turned herself in on Sunday to face charges of attempted larceny and disorderly conduct. She did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. Gregory, who is free on a $1,000 bond, is due in court on Wednesday.
Wintrich’s attorney, Norm Pattis, said Gregory and UConn would hear from him soon.
“Free speech matters,” he said. “It’s OK to be white, black, brown or anything in between. My client came to Connecticut and was treated like a criminal for no reason.”
