San Diego City College NOT a Free-Speech Zone?

San Diego City College NOT a Free-Speech Zone?

Let’s Make It a Hate-Free Zone!

by Leonard Rodriguez

If you, like many Americans, think of college campuses as leftist zones promoting liberal discourses of inclusion and tolerance, you may want to think again. A peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, April 25th promoting equity, equality, diversity, and respect at San Diego City College was quickly snuffed by college officials on grounds that it was NOT in a free-speech zone.
On April 25th, several members of SDAFA (San Diego Adjunct Faculty Association) organized a demonstration, dubbed the March of Silence in honor of the late Martin Luther King Jr., to protest against discrimination, racism, and abuse of power at SD City College and to support a group of part-time immigrant language professors who have recently filed a federal suit against the SD Community College District alleging discrimination, abuse of power, and retaliation by City Language Department Chair Rosalinda Sandoval and Division Dean Trudy Gerald.

Language Department Chair Rosalinda Sandoval at Language Festival

The demonstration was strategically scheduled at the same place (AH 3rd level) and time (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) as the college’s annual Language Festival, a marketing activity designed to promote student interest in learning about other cultures and to increase enrollment in language classes.
On this bright and sunny day, representatives of the various language programs set tables and canopies along a wide outdoor pedestrian walkway on the 3rd level of AH, armed with information, flyers, books, music, and films representative of their various cultures, languages, and study-abroad programs.

Language Festival Promotional Tables
As the Language Festival got under way, several SDAFA members and supporters walked silently back and forth through the corridor carrying banners with slogans – some against racism and abuse, others promoting equity and respect. Some demonstrators wore black robes and a few also donned paper sacks over their heads to hide their identity. The bags had cut outs for their eyes, but over their mouths they had slogans in wide marker with messages such as “I Fear Retaliation” and “Stop Racism.” In addition, two large banners with similar messages were hung and prominently displayed from a canopy and a fence.

SDAFA Members and Supporters

About an hour into the event, SDAFA members were approached by Division Dean Trudy Gerald, an individual from Student Affairs, and a campus police officer. Dean Gerald informed the demonstrators that they were NOT in a free-speech zone. Surprised, one of them replied, “I thought this was the United States of America!” Although Dean Gerald confirmed they were, in fact, in U.S. territory, she reiterated that their particular location on campus was NOT a free-speech zone.
Subsequently, Dean Gerald and the police officer explained the proper procedure to abide in order to dissent: the organization must register ahead of time with, and obtain a permit from, Student Affairs. In addition, it must register with Business Affairs in order to distribute flyers with political messages.
On the face of their imminent eviction from the campus, the protestors’ objections on the grounds that they were in a public space within U. S. territory and presumably protected by their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceable assembly were ignored, and they were courteously but firmly escorted away under tacit but clear threat of arrest. They were, however, provided a brochure with the rules and a campus map indicating the location of the “free-speech zones” where dissenters may dissent to their hearts’ content. You guessed it right; they are two small areas in the outer perimeter of the campus!

Later examination of both the brochure and map (under less stressful circumstances) revealed that their language is “Recommended Free Speech and Posting Areas on Campus,” rather than “Only Allowed,” or “Forbidden.” Therefore, it seems that campus authorities stepped outside their own rules when they interfered with the demonstration.
Although cut short, SDAFA’s demonstration succeeded in delivering a positive message to students, staff, administrators, and to those media outlets present that racism, discrimination, and abuse have no place at City College.
Rather than restricting demonstrations to a couple free-speech zones, school administrators should strive to make the entire campus a hate-free zone.
SDAFA and its supporters hope to help effect that change. They vow to remain committed in their efforts on behalf of the aggrieved, particularly the part-time professors in the lawsuit, until justice is met and the toxic environment in the Language Department is sanitized.
Although the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects our rights to free speech and peaceable assembly, college policy limits the exercise of those civil rights to two small areas in the periphery of the campus. So now you know: America is NOT a wide, open free-speech zone, and even dissenters must abide by the rules.