Casey ShorttA conflict with fees for security at a presentation by right-wing activist David Horowitz Tuesday has caused conflict between Central Michigan University and Campus Conservatives.
Campus Conservatives spokesman and Topinabee senior Dennis Lennox II contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education last week after discovering Campus Conservatives was being charged for having security at Horowitz’s presentation. The group has already been invoiced $220 to provide security for the event.
Lennox said students should not have to pay to ensure their safety at a controversial event.
The FIRE responded by e-mailing University President Michael Rao on Friday, alleging that the university’s decision to charge Campus Conservatives for security is unconstitutional.
“. Any requirement that student organizations hosting controversial events pay for extra security is clearly unconstitutional, as it affixes a price tag to events based on their expressive content,” said Greg Lukianoff, president of FIRE, in the e-mail.
Rao responded to the e-mail Monday, stating CMU will provide two police officers for Horowitz’s presentation.
Rao said in the e-mail to FIRE that the university will review its past practices for charging sponsoring organizations in similar situations, and make a decision accordingly on whether to charge Campus Conservatives.
Campus Conservatives had yet to receive formal notification of Rao’s decision, but decided to still to go ahead with the event, Lennox said.
“We have a working relationship with FIRE and trust that the information they have relayed to us (about Rao’s e-mail) is accurate,” Lennox said.
He said Campus Conservatives would still pursue legal action against the university if the group is charged for event security on Tuesday. Director of Media Relations Steve Smith said he did not know how long it would take to determine whether Campus Conservatives will be charged.
“We firmly believe students should not have to pay for their safety at an event,” Lennox said. “We’re students; we don’t have hundreds of dollars just lying around to pay for police and security guards. We never authorized any invoice for security. If (the university) attempts to bill us after the event, (Campus Conservatives) will take their butts to federal court and sue them.”
Adam Kissel, director of the individual rights defense program at FIRE, said CMU has had a pattern of not giving Campus Conservatives the same rights other student groups enjoy. Although, he said the university has always retracted their practices after receiving letters from the organization.
“(CMU) has a constitutional obligation to not charge Campus Conservatives for any necessary security. It is reasonable to suggest David Horowitz needs two security officers,” Kissel said.
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Heidi Fenton
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