French masonic lodge at heart of murky murder trial

Sri Lanka is struggling to prevent a repeat of its spectacular economic collapse four years ago, as the prolonged Middle East war compounds the fallout from a deadly

in November.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has rationed fuel, raised its price by a third and increased electricity costs by up to 40 percent since the war began disrupting global energy supplies.

Panic buying fuel in Sri Lanka has brought back memories of 2022, when the economy tanked, with inflation hitting 70 percent after Colombo defaulted on its $46 billion external debt.

The accompanying protests toppled the once-powerful president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was accused of mismanagement and corruption.

But the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) that led the "Aragalaya", or struggle, that ousted Rajapaksa has warned that Dissanayake's administration may be facing an implosion.

"We believe that a response to this economic crisis will come politically," FSP politburo member Duminda Nagamuwa told AFP.

"Because of the strength of the (government's) mandate, this economic shock is still being absorbed by the people without exploding politically," he said.

Dissanayake's leftist JVP, or the People's Liberation Front, won a two-thirds majority at the November 2024 parliamentary elections after his own victory two months earlier in the presidential poll.

-- 'Into an abyss' --

A vendor at Colombo's Pettah night market, Wasantha Jayalath, 55, said he voted for Dissanayake in 2024 hoping for better times, but felt the situation was getting worse.

"We voted... thinking that a good, self-sufficient era would dawn for our country," Jayalath told AFP. "There is no such situation; instead, what we realise is that the country is going further into an abyss."

A trader at the capital's main wholesale market, Priyantha Sudharshana Silva, 53, is not blaming the administration for the crisis.

"Protesting won't help because the country is already in a difficult position," Silva told AFP. "We believe that moving forward, even with these difficulties, is a significant achievement."

-- State of emergency --

Human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseka said protests have been subdued because people are preoccupied with the day-to-day challenge of securing supplies.

Fuel rationing has shortened queues, but on Thursday, the government began limiting water supply hours to conserve reserves and save pumping costs.

"Compared to what we had in 2022... you're not seeing that level of protest," Fonseka told AFP. "Sri Lanka was just coming out of another disaster -- Cyclone Ditwah -- and the government imposed a state of emergency to deal with that."

Fonseka said the wide powers that emergency laws give the authorities to arrest and detain suspects could be used to stifle any popular protests, raising serious concerns for rights activists.

"We are in a situation where... laws that are in place, and the way they are being used, raise the question of whether rights could be further eroded in the coming weeks and months," she said. 

-- Deadly cyclone --

Cyclone Ditwah, the worst disaster since the 2004 Asian tsunami, killed 641 people and affected almost the entire country late last year. 

The cyclone, which triggered floods and mudslides, caused an estimated $4.1 billion in damage, according to the World Bank.

The money will be used to rebuild devastated homes, roads, bridges and railways, as well as for cash handouts to help people regain lost livelihoods.

Colombo also secured $206 million in emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in December to deal with the aftermath of the disaster.

An IMF delegation is currently in Sri Lanka to review its four-year $2.9 billion bailout loan before releasing a $700 million instalment.

Sri Lankan authorities have said they may ask the IMF to modify the loan's austerity conditions, given the country's worsening economic circumstances due to external factors.

aj/lkd/lga

A week of near-comebacks finally paid off for Mizzou baseball.

The Tigers took the lead in the ninth to defeat No. 24 Kentucky 5-4 in the series-opener in Lexington, Kentucky. This was just the second Southeastern Conference win for Mizzou, the last one also opening the series on the road against then-No. 22 Tennessee.

"Obviously, we had some moments in there where it got a little tense and we dug a little hole for ourselves," Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said. "We picked each other up and we were able to stay (ahead)."

Rebounding from the worst start he's had this season, right-hander Josh McDevitt spun quite a gem on the mound against the Wildcats. He went five innings and allowed just one earned run. He struck out seven and gave up just four free bases in that time. 

Kentucky tagged a run off of McDevitt on a sacrifice fly in the second, that was the sole earned run for the Wildcats. Hudson Brown laid down a lead-off double and then advanced to third on a groundout, putting him position to score.

His score on the sacrifice also pushed Kentucky to its only lead of the night. 

Mizzou came back in the next inning with a three-run third. The scoring began for the Tigers with Kam Durnin, who got on base with a single, scoring on a wild pitch. Three consecutive singles from Jase Woita, Pierre Seals and Blaize Ward came with two outs and brought in two more runs.

Durnin added another single in the fourth and brought in the final run for the Tigers before the Wildcats fought back. 

It was after Mizzou's four-run burst across two innings that Kentucky began it's comeback. Mizzou's right fielder, Seals, committed an error on the first play of bottom of the fourth inning, resulting in the next two runs for Kentucky, both crossing the plate on singles and going in the scorebook as unearned under McDevitt. It made the score 4-3. 

It wasn't until McDevitt left the mound that the Wildcats added the game-tying run. Reliever Dane Bjorn walked his only batter and then was pulled for righty Keyler Gonzalez, who brought the runner in on a single. Kentucky recorded three unanswered runs. 

It took until the ninth inning for the winner to be settled. Just three batters needed.

Mateo Serna struck out to lead off the inning, but Keegan Knutson doubled and then Donovan Jordan singled to put Mizzou ahead for the final time. 

Trey Lawrence was the pitcher out of the bullpen that carried the Tigers to the win. He tossed three innings, held the Wildcats offense to just one hit and stuck out five of his 13 batters faced.

"You have got to tip your hat to Trey Lawrence," Jackson said. "There's a guy that comes out of there and has a little bit of struggles, but understood how good his stuff was and was able to get us out of that situation."

The Tigers (18-13, 2-8 SEC) will look to take the series at 1 p.m. Saturday in Lexington, Kentucky. Lefty Brady Kehlenbrink will have the ball to start for Mizzou. 

Lauren Coughlin fired an impressive three-under par 69 in tough conditions on Friday to build a five-stroke lead midway through the LPGA Aramco Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Coughlin had six birdies and three bogeys as she matched the low round of the day at Shadow Creek, where her eight-under par total of 136 put her five clear of Ireland's Leona Maguire and South Korean Kim Hyo-joo.

Coughlin, who finished runner-up to Madelene Sagstrom when the tournament was a match play event last year, said she played "really, really good" in "really difficult" conditions.

"The wind was kind of swirling at times and a lot of crosswinds," she said. "Very difficult. The greens firmed up as they do in the afternoon, especially with the wind.

"But, yeah, really, really solid round. Had a lot of fun out there. Looking forward to the weekend."

Maguire had four birdies and three bogeys in her one-under 71 and was joined on three-under 141 by Kim, who is coming off back-to-back LPGA victories at the Founders Cup and Ford Championship.

Kim had a double bogey and three bogeys but nabbed the last of her four birdies at the par-five 18th to complete a one-over 73.

"Going out, we knew it was going to be tough," Maguire said. "Obviously a lot windier, different wind than we got all week as well, which made some holes play quite a bit longer.

"We knew we were going to get the firmer end of the greens this afternoon, so just a case of staying extremely patient."

Despite the testing conditions, Maguire welcomed the test posed by Shadow Creek.

"It's a fantastic golf course," she said. "It's one of the best courses we play all year."

As a dual member of the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour she was relishing this week's co-sanctioned event, which is part of the Saudi-backed Global Series and features a total purse of $4 million with a $600,000 winner's prize.

"This is a huge event for both tours," Maguire said. "Outside of the majors this is one of the biggest there is and a huge opportunity for everyone early in the year to do well."

The field features all of the top 20 in the world rankings.

World number two Nelly Korda headlined a trio sharing fourth on two-under 142.

Korda carded a two-over 74 and was tied with Denmark's Nana Koerstz Madsen and overnight co-leader Miyu Yamashita of Japan.

Koerstz Madsen carded a two-under 70 while Yamashita, the reigning Women's British Open champion and last year's LPGA Rookie of the Year, posted a three-over 75.

bb/jgc

Mizzou track & field's Valentina Barrios broke the meet record at the Battle on the Bayou, throwing a first place earning mark of 183 feet, 1 inch Friday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

The outdoor national champion and Mizzou record holder now ranks fifth nationally with her effort. The Tigers now boast two top five javelin throwers, as Skylar Ciccolini holds second with her efforts at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. In Baton Rouge, Ciccolini took fourth overall with a mark of 165-10. 

In the men's hammer throw, NCAA All-American Sam Innes recorded a throw of 230-10, good for fourth. The Battle alum bested his previous No. 2 program mark, becoming the second Tiger to ever clear 70 meters in the event. Innes' display places him at seventh in the nation.

Dillon Leacock breached the podium, placing third in the 400-meter hurdles with a mark of 50.93 seconds. His effort ranks third in Mizzou history, and he propelled to 21st in the nation. 

Suzy Lecoutre highlighted the distance team, taking fifth in her first career 1,500 in 4:30.68. Lasse Funck paced the men's team in the 1,500, bringing home seventh in 3:45.17.

The Tigers continue contention in the Battle on the Bayou beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Cougars cut through five records at CMU Invite

Columbia College track & field broke five program records across two days of competition at the CMU Invite on Thursday and Friday in Fayette. Sophomores Garrett Donald and Montgomery Keck led the historic campaign, each breaking records in individual and relay events.

Donald broke a pair of program benchmarks in one day, first clocking a 46.83 in the 400 to hit the NAIA "A" standard, then following up with a 21.00 in the 200 to eclipse the NAIA "B" standard.

Keck set her own record in the 100 hurdles after soaring to a 14.68. She also propelled the women's 4x100 squad consisting of Keck, Rachel Hargis, Marianna Tomc and Caleigh Huot to a record time of 49.44.

On the men's end, the 4x400 team of Donald, Jace Carr, Conner Diaz and Bernard Bailey crossed the line in 3:20.96 to tear down yet another program record.

The Cougars look ahead to the Mule Relays beginning April 9 in Warrensburg.

Cougars sweep Hannibal-LaGrange double header

Columbia College baseball swept Hannibal-Lagrange 8-5 and 18-1 in a double header Friday in Columbia. Senior Tyler Renn became the Cougars' all-time home run leader after smashing his 52nd career homer to break the program record previously held by Brayden McGinnis (51).

Kolten Payne worked six innings on the mound and Eric Fields closed it out to earn his fifth win of the season (5-0) in the first game. In the second, Parker Anderson was stellar on the mound through five innings, allowing only one unearned run while striking out five.

The Cougars' offense erupted in Game 2, sending 16 runs across the plate in the opening five frames, including nine in the fourth.

CC closes out the series at 9 a.m. Saturday in Columbia.

CC softball sweeps Stephens in crosstown double header

Columbia College softball swept rival Stephens on Friday in Columbia with a pair of 3-2 wins, improving to 17-11 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

In game one, Ella Schouten struck out 15 in a complete-game performance. The Cougars took the lead in the seventh when Sophia Angel scored on an error after leading off with a triple. Stephens had tied the game in the sixth on a two-run single by Landry Bales.

In game two, Kennedy Jensen allowed one earned run over five innings before Micaiah Cordell closed with two scoreless innings for the save. A two-run double from Kylee Page in the second inning helped Columbia secure the sweep.

CC next faces Hannibal-LaGrange at 1 p.m. Saturday in Hannibal, while Stephens stays home to play Cottey College at 2 p.m. Monday in Columbia.

Mizzou graduate guard Jayden Stone was named to the NABC All-Star game roster Wednesday, in addition to the dunk contest as part of the Final Four Friday happenings. However, Stone wasn't listed on the West's roster and was removed from the dunk contest listing as of Friday.

When approached, Mizzou representatives had no comment about why Stone didn't participate. 

Mizzou-target Coleman announces commitment to Illinois

Incoming freshman Quentin Coleman out of Principia committed to play basketball for Illinois for the 2026-27 season, despite the Tigers' efforts.

Coleman was a highly touted prospect for Mizzou. The guard was scheduled to visit Columbia later in the month, but as of Friday, Coleman will join the Fighting Illini next season.

In the MSHSAA Class 3 championship, Coleman put up 50 points on 18-of-21 shooting, the second-most points in Show-Me Showdown history, behind only Jim Krebs’ 61 in 1953.

They're sipping smoothies, snapping phone pics, dealing with crashed email and fixing broken toilets: astronauts, they're just like us.

The four crewmembers zipping through space toward the Moon are carrying out a mission unlike any before it, but they're also still muddling on through life's mundanities -- all while they float around together in a square footage equivalent to two minivans.

Mission specialist Christina Koch, the first woman to venture into deep space, said preparing for the 10-day journey was akin to planning for a camping trip.

"It represents togetherness and something a little out of the ordinary," she said in a video released by NASA.

Orion wares include 58 tortillas, 43 cups of coffee, barbecued beef brisket and five types of hot sauce.

And one toilet... which had a problem.

It's the first time astronauts venturing into deep space have had a real toilet onboard: the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s provided crewmembers with waste collection bags that were ultimately left on the lunar surface.

Much to the astronauts' relief, Koch remedied the issue with the toilet aboard Orion -- "I'm proud to call myself the space plumber," she said during a Q&A session late Thursday with US media.

"I like to say that it is probably the most important piece of equipment on board," she said. "So we were all breathing a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just fine."

- Sleeping 'like a bat' -

The toilet is in a small cubicle that's quite loud; the astronauts need to wear ear protection when they use it.

But it's "the one place that we can go during the mission where we can actually feel like we're alone for a moment," Canadian Jeremy Hansen said during a demonstration video released by the Canadian Space Agency prior to blast-off.  

The Artemis astronauts also quickly encountered email trouble: mission commander Reid Wiseman said he was experiencing issues with Microsoft Outlook.

"I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working," he said on NASA's livestream.

Who among us?

Members of the Houston-headquartered Mission Control fixed the problem -- where would we be without our IT experts?

The astronauts must adhere to a sleep routine to ensure they're rested for the mission that will see them slingshot around the Moon and conduct a battery of test maneuvers, equipment checks and scientific observations.

They have sleeping bags that tether to the wall to keep them from floating around the capsule.

"Christina has been sleeping heads down in the middle of the vehicle, kind of like a bat suspended from our docking tunnel," Wiseman explained, describing their preferred spots for shut-eye.

"It's more comfortable than you would think," he added.

- Childlike joy -

But there are no rest days for the weightless: the astronauts have 30 minutes of exercise built in to their schedules.

They use a "flywheel exercise device," similar to a yo-yo, that can allow for aerobics like rowing as well as provide resistance to perform moves like weighted squats and deadlifts.

It's paramount that astronauts work out: the microgravity environment takes stress off bones and muscles, which can lead to significant loss without precautions.

NASA also recently updated their policy to allow smartphones on its flights: "We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world," the US space agency's administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X in February.

And while their mission demands extreme precision, there is still room for childlike levity.

Hansen took questions from media while wedged in horizontally and described the joy of floating: "It just makes me feel like a little kid."

For Victor Glover -- the first person of color to fly around the Moon -- a lot of that raw delight arrived at takeoff.

"It was a ride where you're trying to be professional," he said.

"But the kid inside of you wants to break out and just hoot and holler."

mdo/mlm

As four astronauts whiz toward a flyby of the Moon, looking out for them are mission control experts using cutting-edge technology and lessons learned from the Apollo program 50 years ago.

At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, a team of engineers and technicians watched over 100-odd computer screens Friday as the Artemis astronauts in the Orion capsule headed for their rendezvous with Earth's natural satellite on day three of their high-stakes mission.

The nerve center of the operation is the White Flight Control Room, where flight directors Judd Frieling and Rick Henfling oversee everything as the space travelers prepare to slingshot around the Moon on Monday using its gravitational pull, before heading home.

Nearby is the computer screen of the CAPCOM, or capsule communicator, the person responsible for all direct communication with the astronauts.

This time, the CAPCOM is Stan Love, a seasoned former astronaut who sends instructions, flight updates and decisions from the flight directors to the four astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, all from the United States, and the Canadian Jeremy Hansen.

"The team in mission control is very well trained, and experts in their systems that they're watching over on the spacecraft," NASA spokesperson Kylie Clem said, with the busy control room visible behind her.

"They work for a period of years to earn and graduate essentially into this role and working in the front room," Clem added.

- History -

Of course, Houston is no stranger to space history.

On July 20, 1969, mission control received a message that reassured millions of Americans: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." 

It was of course the voice of Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the Moon, with the Apollo 11 mission. 

He would later utter what has become one of history's most famous quotes: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

It was here, too, that NASA heard the anxious and oft-misquoted words "Ah, Houston, we've had a problem," spoken by astronaut Jim Lovell on April 13, 1970, during the Apollo 13 mission. 

An oxygen tank had exploded in their spacecraft, forcing them to abort their lunar landing plans.

"All of our mission control rooms are all in this building," said Clem.

"There are different wings that have been modified over the years, but it's in the same building essentially as the historic Apollo mission control room, the International Space Station flight control room, and this room that we're in now."

-'Physics doesn't change'-

The Artemis 2 mission is the first crewed one to the Moon -- the astronauts will not land, only fly by it -- since the last Apollo flight in 1972. 

Since then, of course, the technology has changed dramatically.

NASA Orion Program Manager Howard Hu said that among other things this involves much greater computing capability, which lets the crew interact more with the spacecraft's systems.

He said another is sensor capability -- "the ability for us to know exactly where we are in space."

Hu also said the precision with which NASA can now do rendezvous and docking, for instance, "is a huge step in technology."

And while the Apollo capsules had room for three astronauts, the Orion craft carries four, as equipment was made to be more compact without a loss of functionality. 

The Apollo vessels were cone-shaped to maximize stability as the craft sped back to Earth through the atmosphere. Orion kept this feature.

"But physics doesn't change. The teardrop shape is very efficient from the aerodynamics perspective," said Hu.

"The Apollo giants were just very good technical engineering experts," he said.

"So we learned a lot from them in terms of the things they learned and we leveraged off of that."

mav/dw/sst

The NFL will not discipline Kansas City Chiefs star Rashee Rice after finding insufficient evidence he violated league conduct policy amid claims he assaulted his ex-girlfriend, a spokesman said Friday.

Rice's former partner Dacoda Jones has accused the wide receiver of multiple assaults over a span of 18 months between 2023 and 2025, including when she was pregnant.

In a civil lawsuit filed in February, she sought more than $1 million in damages for "severe and permanent injuries."

She also posted photos of herself with a bloodied lip, scratches and bruises in a now-deleted Instagram post, which did not name her alleged attacker.

The National Football League opened its own probe into the allegations, and Friday said the wide receiver had not been found in violation of the league's personal conduct policy.

"There was insufficient evidence to support a finding that he violated the personal conduct policy," spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to AFP.

Rice has not been criminally charged in the matter, and the civil case is still pending.

In her lawsuit, Jones alleged that Rice "grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, thrown, scratched, hit, and headbutted" her, as well as hitting her with inanimate objects.

"Additionally, he has engaged in other violent and abusive behaviors towards Ms. Jones, including throwing objects, destroying property, punching walls, and breaking furniture, as well as locking her out in the middle of the night.

"Many of these behaviors occurred while Ms. Jones was pregnant."

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Rice's lawyer Sean Lindsey said Jones had previously given a sworn statement that Rice had not struck her.

On Friday, Lindsey sent a statement to US media thanking the NFL for its investigation.

Jones has two children with 25-year-old Rice, a talented pass-catcher who won a Super Bowl in 2024 at the end of his rookie year with the Chiefs.

In 2025, Rice served a six-game suspension after his conviction for causing a multi-vehicle collision the previous year. 

Rice pleaded guilty to felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.

amz/bb

When Mizzou softball met No. 22/20 LSU on Thursday, it struggled. A 9-1 loss in six innings seemingly set the tone for how the second game of the series would play out, as Missouri’s offense failed to find a rhythm, and the Tigers fell 16-4 Friday in Columbia.

Mizzou's pair of Abbys struck gold in the first inning; Abby Hay singled, while Abby Carr hit a two-run homer, and the Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. This, however, would be the highlight of MU's offense Friday.

Despite initial success, Missouri had major defensive problems, with a detrimental miscommunication between Madison Uptegrove and Claire Cahalan in the second that cost the Tigers a base. 

Addy Waits made a miscue in the third inning, throwing to second base instead of first and allowing LSU runners to make it on base. Sophie Smith made a misjudgment in the seventh, choosing to throw to first instead of tagging the runner then throwing home.

Missouri couldn’t voice a response to LSU pitcher Cece Cellura and struggled with timing. Mizzou briefly got around the pitcher in the fifth, and Uptegrove advanced all the way to third base. She then took advantage of a wild pitch to score.

This didn’t shake LSU, as it proceeded to add nine runs to the score. Kylee Edwards' triple in the seventh made her the first LSU softball player in program history to achieve a cycle.

“We gave in to ‘hard,’” Missouri coach Larissa Anderson said. “Yesterday was hard, and today was hard, and we just gave in a little bit. I want them to be proud of the product that they put on the field and compete.”

Missouri's Marissa McCann pitched 3.1 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs and a homer. Carr then took the mound to try to stop the bleeding for 1.2 innings. Nathalie Touchet entered the circle in the sixth, but LSU got around her as well.

Rylee Michalak was brought in briefly in the seventh before Courtney Donahue finished the inning off. Mizzou's pitchers recorded 11 total walks with 16 runs allowed, the most since 2016.

“You're not going to win any ball game having 11 walks,” Anderson said. “We've got to control the strike zone better, (and) we've got to be more competitive. We can't give up as many free bases.”

Mizzou will seek redemption, closing out the series at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Softball Stadium.

(The Center Square) – A student at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego was suspended after posting a pro-Immigration and Customs Enforcement flyer reading, “We [heart] ICE – Real Americans,” following an anti-ICE walkout on campus, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

Student-led anti-ICE walkouts have continued to rise nationwide. In 2026 alone, more than 300 such walkouts and protests have taken place. Various organizations have led training programs within K–12 schools, and the National Education Association has provided $1.7 million in funding to a May Day 2026 training toolkit that includes anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement messaging, according to an investigation by Defending Education.

A “Four Weeks of Power” training series is organized and led by Free the Future, the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, New York University’s Steinhardt Metro Center and the Midwest Academy.

Torrey Pines school officials reportedly claimed the student's flyer was “harassment” and “intimidation,” leading to the student's suspension and prompting concerns from free speech advocates.

“Schools cannot favor one viewpoint over another. When students express themselves non-disruptively, the First Amendment guarantees their right to freedom of speech, regardless of what opinion they share,” Conor Fitzpatrick, senior attorney at FIRE, told The Center Square.

Midwest Academy has received $1,735,000 since 2015. The NEA funding has supported trainings and organizing efforts that promote demonstrations calling for policies like taxing the wealthy, opposing ICE and expanding democracy, according to materials outlined in the toolkit.

At the school level, the toolkit encourages participants to stage “walk-ins,” where students and supporters gather on campus to protest or “celebrate” issues related to school conditions and public policy.

“It should be deeply concerning that one of the suggested tactics is to enter schools to protest against policies they don’t like,” Rhyen Staley, director of research at Defending Education, said in a statement. “Putting children's education and safety at risk for political gain is unethical and immoral.”

The Center Square reached out to Defending Education for further comment but has not received a response. 

Fitzpatrick said punishing students for expressing certain viewpoints while allowing others raises concerns about viewpoint discrimination.

“Any time a student is punished for non-disruptive speech, it makes others scared to exercise their own free speech rights,” Fitzpatrick said. “We expect schools to prepare students for real life, and in life, students will have co-workers, neighbors and elected officials who may not talk, think or pray the same way they do.”

Fitzpatrick added that, generally, speech in schools rises to the level of punishable harassment only if it is “so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive” that it effectively denies other students equal access to educational opportunities. He said intimidation must meet a high legal threshold, such as a true threat involving intent to commit unlawful violence, to be subject to discipline.

The Center Square reached out to the NEA for a comment, but has not received a response.