Mar 19, 2014 11:30 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The South Carolina House approved last week a budget cut that punished two public colleges for assigning LGBT-related books as part of a campus-wide reading program.

According to the Huffington Post, the legislation, led by Rep. Gary Smith (R-Simpsonville), wanted to dock the College of Charleston $52,000 and the University of South Carolina Upstate $17,142. 10 First Amendment advocacy groups have co-authored a letter protesting the budget and stating it violates the right to free speech.

"The proposed budget cuts undermine the fundamental mission of higher educational institutions, which is critical analysis and free and unfettered debate," reads the letter. "Legislative efforts to control discussion and debate in a university setting are ill-advised, both legally and educationally."

The letter was signed by the following organizations: ACLU of South Carolina, American Association of University Professors, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, Association of American Publishers, Association of College and Research Librarians, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Modern Language Association, National Coalition Against Censorship and National Council of Teachers of English.

The College of Charleston assigned a book called "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel, which is about a lesbian woman and her relationship with her father who she one day learns is gay too. South Carolina Upstate assigned a freshmen course to read "Out Loud: the Best of Rainbow Radio," which is a collection of stories from the state's first radio show targeted for a homosexual audience.

"I appreciate the issue of freedom and academic freedom and very much support that, but in this case it was very irresponsibly exercised," Smith told Fox News.

The South Carolina House is split on both sides on whether or not to penalize the schools, but so far, no effort to nix the budget cuts has been successful.

"Academic freedom is more important than any individual reading assignment or College Reads program," College of Charleston president George Benson told the HP. "I will not and we must not permit the legislature or outside groups to tell college faculty what to teach or how to teach it."

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