Two college students, members of Young Americans for Liberty, who were excercising their First Amendment Rights on the campus of Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. They were handing out copies of the United States Constitution, without getting permission. The arrests were for trespassing on the school’s campus.
This is but one in a long line of situations where colleges and universities, who are supposed to be “marketplaces of ideas”, have, in fact, intentionally limited or destroyed free speech and opinions that are controversial. YAL President Cliff Mahoney Jr, in a letter to members and supporters, described the situation as follows:
“This wasn’t just a verbal attack from big government administrators or liberal classmates freaking out over opposing views… this was handcuffs and a night in county jail.
“Campus security literally showed up to the YAL chapter’s national Fight for Free Speech campaign event and arrested students for peaceably handing out pocket Constitutions. Remember, this is a public, American tax-payer funded community college. A place that is supposed to not only uphold the Bill of Rights, but set an example for its students. Yet, the administration’s actions are a direct violation of the First Amendment. Who knew the Constitution was so controversial?
Time in the slammer for handing out pocket constitutions? This is insane.”
CSPOA stands firmly alongside YAL in fighting back against this tyrannical AL filed a federal lawsuit against Kellogg Community College for First Amendment Violations. These campus security officers violated the rights of these young people, on the orders of the administration of the college. Stay tuned for updates. They should have stood up and refused to act, the same way