On August 10, 2026, a federal court opinion by Judge Joseph Dawson, III (D.S.C.) addressed the suspension of a college student, Lemoine, by Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC). The case involved Lemoine's Snapchat comment stating that a man who insulted her "needa get blasted" and an Instagram video posted about a year earlier showing her firing a handgun at a target while wearing western-style attire.

HGTC discovered the Instagram video on September 13, 2024, and initially accepted Lemoine's explanation of the Snapchat comment during a meeting on September 11. The September 20 conduct decision noted there was no evidence at that time to find her in violation of the Student Code based on the Snapchat comment alone.

However, the college later questioned Lemoine's explanation after reviewing the shooting video, which she contended was taken on private property before her enrollment and unrelated to HGTC or its community. HGTC's letter cited these two facts as causing "a significant amount of apprehension related to the presence and use of guns," impacting the learning environment because students and employees felt unsafe.

The September 20 decision concluded that Lemoine violated the Student Code provision prohibiting conduct that disrupts the educational process or interferes with the rights of others. The suspension raised concerns about her ability to remain in the cosmetology cohort.

Plaintiff argued that the suspension violated her First Amendment rights. The court's opinion highlighted that the suspension for the Snapchat comment and the prior shooting range video violated the First Amendment.

This ruling underscores the tension between campus safety concerns and free speech protections in educational institutions.

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