On March 2, Tony Jones, president of the School of The Art Institute, stood in court before Judge Kenneth Gillis as he readily dismissed the suit. Gillis ruled that the institute had not violated either state or federal laws concerning the flag. "This exhibit is as much an invitation to think about the flag as it is an invitation to step on it," Judge Gillis said reminding the court works of art are protected under the First Amendment. This ruling had little affect on the protesters outside of the school.
Amidst numerous bomb threats and physical threats to students,faculty, staff and visitors to the school, Security was fortified with plain clothes police, and visitors to the gallery were restricted to eight people when it was not necessary to clothes the gallery due to threats. The school stood by the artwork for the duration of the show. Senator Dudycz arrived in the gallery one day with a bucket of sand and a pole and hung the flag.
Chicago Police Department informed the school that they were not criminally liable for the piece, but any viewer who walks on the flag may be charged with a felony. A teacher, visiting Chicago, walked on the flag in order to write in the book was arrested when police were alerted by a veteran.
Source: CAC Censorship Archive