Cal Poly student's lawsuit says he was punished for trying to post flier

USA Today ^ | Sept 26, 2003 | Captain93728

[Captain93728]

A California Polytechnic State University senior plans to file a lawsuit against top campus officials today, arguing that they unfairly punished him after he tried to post a flier promoting an upcoming speech by an author whose ideas a group of black students found offensive.

[Captain93728]

The case involves a student trying to post a flier on behalf of Cal Poly College Republicans promoting a speech by Mason Weaver, a conservative black author.

[Hobsonphile]

Leftism on Campus ping!

If you would like to be added to the Leftism on Campus ping list, please
notify me via FReep-mail.

Regards...

[Steely Glint]

Political Correctness = totalitarianism

[PRND21]

Much more info.

[Admin Moderator]

Please include original titles when posting articles.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - CAMPUS FREE SPEECH ALERT

[pabianice]

"We've decided it's better for freedom to end in this country rather than have some minority's feelings hurt. That's infantile Liberalism. Anyone who tries to hurt me or my family is going to get hurt."

-- Jay Severin, WTTK radio, Boston

[mhking]

Please post entire article when not covered by WP/LAT exclusion:

---

A California Polytechnic State University senior plans to file a lawsuit against top campus officials today, arguing that they unfairly punished him after he tried to post a flier promoting an upcoming speech by an author whose ideas a group of black students found offensive.

The lawsuit, to be filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, reflects a growing frustration among some students over the rise of campus policies governing speech or conduct. In recent months, students have filed lawsuits in Texas, California and Pennsylvania, and more are expected.

But lawyers for the Cal Poly student also raise concerns about whether policies give preferential treatment to minorities.

"No one racial group ought to be able to veto the free-speech rights of anyone else just because of the color of their skin," says Terence Pell, president of the Center for Individual Rights. The Washington-based public-interest law firm led the Supreme Court case this year against the University of Michigan's undergraduate admissions policy. The court struck down the policy, which awarded points to minorities based on skin color.

The California case hinges on an incident last November when student Steve Hinkle, who is white, sought to post a flier on behalf of Cal Poly College Republicans. The flier promoted a speech by Mason Weaver, a conservative black author who argues that a dependence on government programs is akin to slavery.

In the lawsuit, lawyers say Hinkle entered a lounge in a multicultural center, where black students were finishing a pizza as they prepared for a Bible-study session. According to taped transcripts of Hinkle's seven-hour judicial hearing made public by his supporters, some of the students said they found the flier offensive and told Hinkle to leave or they would call campus police. After a brief conversation — during which some documents describe Hinkle's demeanor as "contentious" —Hinkle left. Campus police arrived a few minutes later.

Weaver's speech took place without incident. But a few months later, Hinkle was found by the university's Judicial Affairs offices to have violated a state regulation that bars "obstruction or disruption" of campus functions. Hinkle was asked to apologize but declined.

University officials won't discuss details, citing privacy laws. But in an e-mail to alumni and others who contacted Cal Poly after learning of the incident, vice president of student affairs Cornel Mortonwrites that the disciplinary action involved student conduct, not free speech. Freedom of speech "does not include permission to disrupt scheduled meetings," Morton's e-mail says.

Officials say the matter is closed. But Hinkle wants his record cleared. "Any disruption was a result of these students being upset by the flier," he says. "I'm virtually being punished for my beliefs."

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

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[Gunrunner2]

Complete history here:
http://www.thefire.org/index.php

[Malesherbes]

...while the black students "prepared for a Bible study session." In a publicly supported student center? How can this be? Clearly the ACLU is getting lax.

[Montfort]

The one place you cannot have diversity of views is in a multicultural center.

[Gunrunner2]

Tell me about it. . .as a former member of my school boards multicultural advisory committee, I agree with you 100%.

[Wheee The People]

Wow, just think how much trouble the student would have been in had he tried to post a flyer selling a car, or half price off on bagels!

[fella]

This new establisment is by far more heavyhanded than the old establisment. They also do not feel the need to be in the least bit subtle.

[TheEngineer]

The one place you cannot have diversity of views is in a multicultural center.

Bump!

[f.Christian]

"Now in the mall, I looked straight ahead at the Chase cash bank, where there were some 100 people cowering; screaming, some hysterically started to run out of the bank and down the hall, as now the mall was rapidly filling up with thick black smoke. I was hanging onto this firefighter for dear life, while telling him, “You cannot go in there - that place is exploding down around our heads!" He looked at me and in the calmest manner said, “Honey it's going to be okay, its my job. You just get out of here." He asked me if I new where the Borders book store was and I said yes, so he said, “Go there and get out as fast as you can”. By this time he had a whole battalion behind him and they went in towards the lobby. I started for the Borders at top speed, while hearing secondary explosions going off above my head, almost like an .08 gage gun or larger. All this made me want to hit the floor and all I could think was, "What in God's name is happening up there?"

"I found myself next to a man who is taking out a cigarette, all the time while we both were running. I was thinking, "I could sure use one of those right now!" He tried to light it with very shaky hands at a dead run, when a Port Authority security guard (directing people to safety) said in a very Brooklyn-ish accent, ... “Hey buddy this is a no smoking zone! You can't light that down here!” The man looked back at the guard, aghast, and I'm sure I had the same look on my face! The man said, “You have to be f-ing kidding me! This place is burning down around us, we are all going to die, and by God I am going to have my last cigarette before I go!” I managed at least one laugh that morning, as it was funny as hell, and I wished I could have stopped to get a cigarette from him myself. But the mood quickly turned serious again, as I came upon two portly grandmothers in their late 60's or early 70's; they're holding onto each other, crying, unable to keep up with the mass exodus. The explosions above our heads on the plaza were scaring them and they kept stopping. I grabbed one of their hands and told them to hold on and keep up. Dragging them behind me, I told them to worry about any resulting medical problems later - for now we had to get out of there! I thought to myself, "If I can just get out, we can get to a hospital if someone starts to stroke out."

[em2vn]

"...where black students were finishing a pizza as they prepared for a Bible-study session."
The Koran?

[RobbyS]

What is a" multicultural center?" Haven't been to college recently.

[Chad Fairbanks]

It's place for people to hang out and bitch and moan about Whitey...