Professors Suspended At Californian College for Peacefully Protesting Outside of "Free Speech Patio"

If speaking your mind about issues facing the college where you teach--or even just joining a group of students doing the same--sounds to you like a reasonable thing for a professor to do, then you might want to stay away from Southwestern College in California.

That's the best conclusion I can draw regarding the situation at Southwestern College (SWC), which has banned three professors from campus and denied them the use of campus e-mail and other resources after they did nothing more than join a group of students who was peacefully protesting against recent budget cutbacks at the college.

Making things look still worse for SWC, my organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), has received reports that campus police have been used to intimidate SWC faculty members and students and that students are being declared guilty of offenses for peacefully protesting on campus. To top it all off, SWC maintains an absurdly small "free speech zone," as well as an unconstitutional "Freedom of Expression" policy.

How small is the free speech zone, you ask? Well, it's actually a patio outside the Student Union. No, I did not just make that up. The whole affair is so ludicrous that FIRE sent a letter yesterday to SWC Superintendent/President Raj K. Chopra.

The basic facts of the case are as follows. According to eyewitnesses who have described the events both to FIRE and to the press, a group of students and faculty assembled on October 22 in SWC's "free speech area" to protest various actions of the college. One of the students then said, "Let's go where they can hear us"--apparently because it is frustrating to, you know, have one's protest event restricted to a patio. Some students then headed toward President Chopra's office, where they were met by campus police officers and prevented from even getting into the courtyard where Chopra's office is located. Three faculty members were with the group of students for different amounts of time during the students' conversation with the police officers, and they left separately.

Later that evening, the three professors were hand-delivered letters signed by Chopra at their off-campus homes, informing them that they were banned from campus due to an unspecified "matter" and were not even permitted to use campus e-mail or other resources. Just as chillingly, according to other reports, campus police officers have recently been attending peaceful gatherings of students and faculty, and students involved in such meetings and protests have been summoned to the president's office.

Unsurprisingly, FIRE is not alone in its concern about the college's blatant disregard for students' and faculty members' rights to peaceful protest. The Writer's Washroom has an excellent roundup of the television, radio, and print coverage of the case. Dissent the Blog has picked up our letter to SWC. Perhaps most useful is Save Our Southwestern College, a blog maintained by concerned SWC students, faculty, and other members of the campus community. It is a great resource for those wishing to read up on this case, and it provides timely updates.

I highly encourage readers to read more about this case and to spread the word. President Chopra needs to understand that dissent and protest are signs of a healthy university, not an infirm one, and that limiting free speech to a patio is not only unconstitutional, it is an insult to the principles of free speech on which higher education relies.

UPDATE 11/05/2009: FIRE confirmed that, as of this morning, the professors who had been banned were allowed to return to campus.

 

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Comments

[md6154]

Here's the link. 10 photos in the slideshow....and only 3 of them show the students being peaceful. Campus police is completely calm and the majority of the students look....well, rather riled up, angry, and certainly not "peaceful". Enjoy....

http://media.www.southwesterncollegesun.com/media/storage/paper777/news/2009/09/25/News/Strong.Voices.Deaf.Ears-3825062.shtml#4

[Betty Crock]

Wait, where are the pictures of students shoving police as you mentioned below? All I see is a cop twisting a young girl's arm and another cop pushing a gray-haired guy. These are things I enjoy, but to each their own.

[Betty Crock]

Oops, I meant DON'T enjoy. My bad.

[allioop1982]

I gotta be completely honest with you—and this is sincerely coming from someone who isn’t on anyone’s side in this matter, but what you are saying seems like what YOU want to see and what YOU want people to see because I don’t see him twisting her arm at all. The girl looks rather angry and looks like she’s actually ready to strike the officer and he’s stopping her from doing so, and he’s doing so in a calm manner. And I don’t see that other cop “pushing” that gray haired man at all! Lol. I see him holding his hand us as “stop” so he won’t walk any further. It looks as if the gray haired man is holding his hands up for dramatic affect. I’m sorry, that’s HONESTLY what I see in the photo and I’ve got pretty good eyesight.

[jmazz2]

Just to verify how trumped up these allegations by the SWC District are, let me tell you my story. I was the 4th faculty member out on paid administrative leave over this incident. I was only relieved of duty for one day because when the District finally checked their facts, they were able to verify that I did not participate at the student rally or subsequent congregation of students/faculty near the president's office. So how did my name end up on the list of faculty members to be placed on paid administrative leave? In my opinion it was purely retaliation by the administration. I was the faculty union president for 3 years and Dr. Chopra, the Superinten­dent/Presi­dent of SWC, did not like some of the things I said. He did not believe that I could speak against his policies/decisions in public.

I did observe the students/faculty near the president's office from a distance of maybe 100 feet. I spoke briefly with a colleague and then left. In the time that I was observing, this was a peaceful demonstration. The 3 faculty members stepped between the students and the police and asked why people could not use a public sidewalk. When it became apparent that they could not pass, they left. For those of us that remember Kent State, I would think the administration would be glad that the faculty stepped in to show students proper behavior when demonstrating.

[Professor in exile]

md6154 isn't correct except to say that there are photos of the event, and these photos clearly show the truth. As one of the professors in question, I can tell you the students were excited, but certainly not shoving campus police or behaving in a violent manner when I was there. Keep in mind that campus police are armed with batons, pepper spray and gun with live ammunition and are trained in hand-to-hand engagement, so if they're being assaulted, they have the means to defend themselves.

What the truth? Go to http://saveourswc.blogspot.com/ to read articles and see photos of the event.

Here's another good source for information created by the people this impacts the most, the students: http://www.southwesterncollegesun.com/

[md6154]

So now you are insinuating campus police will use guns on students if necessary. C'mon! It's people like you who start horrible rumors like this, get the students riled up and you're probably one of the many who have caused half this stuff to escalate the way it has. I can't even specify this enough....GROW UP!!!! BE THE ADULT HERE!

[md6154]

This protest was not peaceful. Students were shoving campus police and yelling in their face and these instructors did nothing to stop it. There are photos of this. There are always two sides to every story.

[idiots axiom]

Would you mind providing a link to said pictures? Moreover, would you mind providing a link to any pictures of the suspend faculty members shoving campus police?
If the campus police were assaulted, does it not stand to reason that the students would have been taken into custody on the spot? I've never heard of an officer being shoved and then turning the cheek.
With Baited Breath,
Scott

[inchulavista]

They have not interviewed ONE single faculty member who was present. What kind of investigation was that?

Here is a link to some photos where the police is the one touching students and the faculty member.

http://media.www.southwesterncollegesun.com/media/storage/paper777/news/2009/09/25/News/Students.Rally.Against.Cuts.To.Class.Schedule-3825018.shtml

Check it for yourself. They are fabricating these accusations. And it will be proven sooner or later. For now the president has gotten letters from FIRE and ACLU. Our policies are dictatorial and in violation of free speech.