A student in the audience during a speech at the University of Missouri at Kansas City by Michael Knowles, a conservative commentator, was arrested after he sprayed Knowles with a water gun during his talk. Knowles's talk, "Men are Not Women," was criticized by some on campus as a deliberate attempt to hurt transgender people. Knowles on Twitter said that the university didn't do enough to protect his free speech rights, and he criticized university officials for questioning his views.

At least the University of Missouri-Kansas City apologized for the physical assault and relentless shouting I endured last night as an invited speaker on campus.



JUST KIDDING! The Chancellor of the university just sent out an email baselessly smearing me as a bigot. pic.twitter.com/tUPEE0FCW9 — Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) April 12, 2019

The university released a statement that said in part, "We have a responsibility to allow free speech, but we cannot condone physical disruptions of peaceful activities. We believe free speech can be exercised constructively in a way that doesn’t put people at risk. We are gathering facts and will review campus policies and procedures."