White Student Won't Apologize for Flap at University Multicultural Center

CNSNews.com ^ | 7/10/03 | David Fein

[kattracks]

(CNSNews.com) - Initially labeled a "suspicious white male" by police investigating a dispute at the multicultural center on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, student Steve Hinkel continues to defy university officials who want him to apologize for posting a flyer advertising a conservative speaker.

The original dispute occurred Nov. 12, 2002, when Hinkle, a member of the College Republicans, entered the Cal Poly Multicultural Center to post a flyer promoting an upcoming speech by Mason Weaver, a conservative and African American author of the book It's OK to Leave the Plantation The book analyzes the dangers of African Americans becoming too dependent on government programs.

Several students confronted Hinkle and told him he needed approval from the coordinator of the multicultural center before he could post anything. While Hinkle left to investigate the claims, one of the students called the campus police department.

According to the police report eventually filed in the case, "On 11-12-02...we were dispatched to the multicultural center to investigate a report of a suspicious white male passing out literature of an offensive racial nature."

On Jan. 29 of this year, Cal Poly charged Hinkle with disrupting a student meeting - a Bible reading - in the multicultural center's lounge area.

In February, university officials held a hearing to determine Hinkle's culpability, a transcript of which was compiled by Hinkle's faculty adviser. During the hearing, Cornel Morton, vice president of student affairs, attempted to explain to Hinkle the mindset of his accusers.

"You are a young white member of CPCR (Cal Poly College Republicans). To students of color, this may be a collision of experience," Morton said. "The chemistry has racial implications, and you are naive not to acknowledge those."

A copy of the transcript from the hearing was provided to CNSNews.com by the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a free speech group representing Hinkle in the dispute.

On March 12, university Vice Provost W. David Conn found Hinkle guilty and ordered him to write letters of apology to the offended students, informing Hinkle that if he failed to write the letters, he would face much stiffer penalties.

But Hinkle refuses to apologize.

"What is so shocking about this case is that Cal Poly decided not to punish the student censors, but rather, to punish the student who simply attempted to post a flyer that included only factually accurate information," said Greg Lukianoff, director of legal and public advocacy for FIRE.

Lukianoff said Hinkle's accusers were responsible for the disruption in the student lounge, not the other way around. He added that the student Bible-reading group had no formal recognition from the university and therefore could not have been conducting a campus-related function.

The irony, according to Lukianoff, was that "Hinkle was actually posting flyers for an event that was sponsored by a recognized student group and by the student government, and it is he who has the far better claim to campus function status."

Hinkle not only isn't planning to apologize, Lukianoff wants Cal Poly to apologize to Hinkle and the entire student body. The university must also "overturn its rulings against Steve Hinkle, expunge any derogatory information from his record and take serious corrective action to make sure that no students believe that they can report a student to the university police simply because they dislike that student's expression."

Carlos Cordova, Cal Poly's legal counsel, defended the university's handling of the matter.

"Mr. Hinkle was charged with engaging in conduct which disrupted a student meeting, a content-neutral rule applicable to all students. He was not charged because of his political affiliation or because some members of our campus community considered the flyers he attempted to post to be offensive."

Any decision to punish Hinkle will be made by the university's director of student judicial affairs, who was unavailable for comment. However, Morton emphasized that an expulsion or suspension was not being considered. Morton would not speculate on how the university might respond to Hinkle's refusal to apologize.

E-mail a news tip to David Fein.

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[lentulusgracchus]

This guy is being prosecuted for Thoughtcrime.

I unbellyfeel Thoughtcrime and Oldthinkers. I bellyfeel Big Brother. I bellyfeel doubleplusgood duckspeakers truthwise.

War is Peace. Love is Hate. Long live IngSoc!

[hellinahandcart]

Folks are always telling me that our colleges 'n universities are fair-minded & tolerant, respectful of others' opinions.

Inclusive, you forgot to say inclusive, sheesh. What's the matter with you?

[jla]

BTW D.A., I left out inclusive in my prev post.
(Good thing I somehow managed to remmber that! LOL)

[FreedomPoster]

No.

[FreedomPoster]

That's boderline scary that you are able to do that so well.

;-)

[FreedomPoster]

/boderline/borderline/

[aomagrat]

He was not charged because of his political affiliation or because some members of our campus community considered the flyers he attempted to post to be offensive.

[rooster1]

Here is a link to a related opinion by Suzanne Fields. It is well worth reading.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/suzannefields/sf20030710.shtml

[Puppage]

universities are fair-minded & tolerant, respectful of others' opinions

Only if you believe what THEY believe. Otherwise, you're a hater.

I'm sure you know that tolerance only goes one way.

[an amused spectator]

You read this stuff and you just can't believe it.

[dansangel]

Un-frickin-believable bump.

My thoughts exactly....sheesh.

[Lee'sGhost]

"You are a young white member of CPCR (Cal Poly College Republicans). To students of color, this may be a collision of experience," Morton said. "The chemistry has racial implications, and you are naive not to acknowledge those."

These comments made my blood boil. Translation: "You are a young fool, and worse, a Reeeeeepubbbbbbliiiiicaaaaannnn. The chemistry has racial implications because we have 95% of blacks in our pocket and you're trying to inject a few facts into their hate-filled heads. I'm a liberal so I know what's best for you. To say otherwise makes you naive and stupid."

[sixgunjer]

I graduated from Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) in 1982. When I went there, the only thing going on in the way of social comment was Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. It's amazing what a difference 20 years can make.

[CatoRenasci]

None of this crap would work if the faculty simply grew a set of cajones: all they have to do is hold minority students to the same classroom standards as everyone else in the required general education courses. Since most minority students have been admitted on affirmative action, they are not prepared at the same level as the other students. If their performance were judged objectively, without grade inlfation, the most obstreperous would probably fail and be rusticated, and those who passed would be kept too busy to bother with political nonsense.

[Elsie]

GONADS Rule!!!

Question: person of WHICH race cultural leaning are more likely to 'get up in your face' if something you do or say offends them in some way?

[Gritty]

Cal-Poly has lifted a page right out of the "justice" system of the Soviet Union: accuse somebody of a crime they didn't commit, force them into admitting the false charge, make them publicly recant, punish them severely, hold them up as an example for all to see, proclaim their own purity as the protector of The People, then resume the same cycle all over again against more innocent victims.

[ladylib]

I can understand why colleges are losing white male students. Kids put up with this crap in high school. They probably think why should they have to voluntarily pay for it in college?

[stevio]

Bump for the youth of America!

[GOP_Proud]

<<< "You are a young white member of CPCR (Cal Poly College Republicans). To students of color, this may be a collision of experience" Morton said. "The chemistry has racial implications, and you are naive not to acknowledge those." >>> <<>> That's exactly how I interpreted this. How can anyone get by with this #*&^?

[ArrogantBustard]

"You are a young white member of CPCR (Cal Poly College Republicans). To students of color, this may be a collision of experience," Morton said. "The chemistry has racial implications, and you are naive not to acknowledge those."

Translation from gobbledygook: "I (Cornel Morton) and the people I represent are hateful bigots".