New Jersey stood as a busy battleground for YAL in late 2019 into 2020. YAL State Chair Akshay Aurora met with Rowan Chapter President Frank Bonano several times through each of the semesters. Through Free Speech Balls and other activism events, YAL worked hard against the policies that required groups of more than 10 to get permission ahead of time to speak and assemble–a direct violation of students’ First Amendment rights.

In April 2020, Bonano delivered a demand letter written by ADF to the school administration. The school had a favorable response to the suggestions made by ADF and throughout the next couple months, school administrators consulted with ADF’s legal team to craft a policy that met constitutional standards. On August 25, 2020, ADF confirmed the new policies were published and up-to-snuff. Bonano and Aurora’s efforts had paid off, and Rowan students could now enjoy a broader scope of their rights.