Just a quick link to a news story I ran across regarding the case I mentioned last week about university administrators banning members of a campus religious group from engaging in First Amendment protected religious activities. If any thing, the story gets worse, and implicates the campus fraternity system in the banning as well -- and shows that the university is taking the notion of in loco parentis further than any reasonable interpretation of those powers can be extended.

Frustrated by the futility of his efforts in the field of public opinion, Campbell used a patented move of the "diversity police" and sought to impose his will through the kangaroo courts of the university and reported the group to the campus police department. Following the filing of this complaint, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Irvin Clark, sent a summons to the C2L president charging the organization and its officers with two Level 1 Zero Tolerance Misconducts. One charge fell under the category of "assault, harassment and fighting" while the other fell under the hazing provision of the SSU Code of Student Ethics.

The summons also temporarily suspended all C2L activities until an investigation could be held and a hearing conducted. During this time, approximately 15 members of C2L attempted to gather and pray on campus; but the Vice President for Student Affairs Randy Gunter allegedly ordered campus police officers to stop the group from assembling and praying.

Soon thereafter, SSU faculty member Marilyn Suggs, who periodically serves as a hearing officer for the campus kangaroo court, laid down her judgment sanctioning C2L with punishments of a several month suspension, community service and probation. While under the suspension, the group was prohibited from conducting any activities, congregating, wearing C2L paraphernalia, soliciting membership or participating in "meetings, step shows or other 'underground activities' on campus or off campus."

Reportedly, Suggs' reasons for issuing the sanctions included a "verbal altercation" between the C2L president and Campbell, Campbell's petition, an incident where the C2L president told a former member "Shut [his] mouth" and the former member's voluntary acts of washing the feet of another C2L member and jumping into the Atlantic Ocean on the semester retreat.

The group's suspension ultimately led to expulsion when they refused to cancel an off-campus non-C2L-affiliated weekend trip to Walt Disney World for Disney's Night of Joy contemporary Christian music. Clark immediately expelled the group from campus for violating its terms of suspension. Left without any other options, C2L members are now suing to get their organization back on campus.

Excuse me -- what basis does a university have regulating a group of students going to Disney World? What basis does the university have threatening students with arrest for gathering together to pray -- either on or off campus?

Interestingly enough, it strikes me that the best statute on the books to deal with this official oppression under color of law by the staff of this historically black university would be one passed shortly after the Civil War to protect freed slaves whose rights under the Constitution were violated by former Confederates. It is known as the Ku Klux Klan Act.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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