LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Kentucky newspaper reporter who went to Transylvania University to cover a “public and open discussion” about race relations on campus was kicked out of the student-led meeting by school officials.

The student meeting on race relations was prompted by a recent BuzzFeed column by Transylvania University alumnus Tracy Clayton that detailed racial hostility she faced at the school in the early 2000s.

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It was promoted by sophomore Theodora Salazar on Facebook as a meeting “where all citizens of the Transylvania community can be free to discuss their feelings and questions toward our community’s internal respect or lack of thereof, as well as a space to facilitate discussion through the feelings and thoughts of our peers,” the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

But when the newspaper’s reporter, Linda Blackford, attempted to attend, she was ushered from the Mitchell Fine Arts Building by a school official because she did not gain prior permission to speak with students. The meeting was initially supposed to be held outside, but moved to the fine arts building because of inclement weather.

WKYT posted Blackford’s Twitter messages about the ordeal:

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The “previous attempts to control this narrative” stems from an email sent by a student life officials who asked students not to comment on Clayton’s BuzzFeed story, though university officials contend they did not initiate the message.

“We welcome open dialogue at every turn at this university — my philosophy of education is that the best thing students can do for their education is to find their own voice,” Transylvania president Seamus Carey told the Herald-Leader. “We want open and public dialogue. We’re also sensitive to the ability of students to express their feelings and thoughts in a safe environment.”

Clayton’s BuzzFeed article published last Thursday detailed how the black student was met with Confederate Flags draped in the window of a Kappa Alpha fraternity when she arrived at the school in 2000.

Clayton also wrote about fraternity parties where Kappa Alpha brothers wore Confederate flags and uniforms.

Kappa Alpha’s Lexington, Virginia headquarters issued a statement in response to the story pointing out that the fraternity has since banned Confederate costumes because “gentlemanly conduct and respect for all are the core values of Kappa Alpha Order,” according to the Herald-Leader.

University spokeswoman Julie Martinez told WLYT Blackford was kicked off campus because she didn’t gain prior approval to be there from the private school’s communication office, though she acknowledged there is no official policy demanding such.

Martinez said that gaining prior approval is “a protocol in our office.”

“That’s the standard thing, that’s what people normally do; that’s what our expectation would be,” Martinez said. “We are — and always have been — a private institution.”

Carey also blamed the issue on the newspaper, and said administrators would have asked students if a reporter could attend, had the newspaper asked.

“We welcome open dialogue at every turn at this university — my philosophy of education is that the best thing students can do for their education is to find their own voice,” Carey said. “We want open and public dialogue. We’re also sensitive to the ability of students to express their feelings and thoughts in a safe environment.”

“Carey wrote a column Monday promising that Transy would continue its progress on racial matters, including minority enrollment, which has increased from 3 percent to 18 percent since Clayton attended. Carey said he’s traveling to New York on Wednesday, and is having lunch with Clayton, who lives there,” the Herald-Leader reports.

Salazar, the student who posted the event to Facebook, said she would have welcomed the media attention at the event.

“It showed that students are taking initiative,” she told the Herald-Leader. “Part of the reason we wanted to do this was because talking on screens is not enough.”