Legal Commentary

Hard To Be A Despised Minority On Campus...

I?m speaking, of course, of college Republicans, on whom on most campuses there is an open season and no limit.

A case in point involves the College Republicans at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. They decided to invite a speaker to campus to talk about affirmative action, someone you will have seen and possibly even read ? the well-known (The Cosby Show, and many others) actor and commentator, Joseph C. Phillips. In addition to his acting career, Mr. Phillips has been an active participant in the debate over affirmative action.

In a gesture of good will, the College Republicans asked Susquehanna?s Office of Multicultural Affairs if it wanted to co-sponsor the event and joint Mr. Phillips for dinner after the event. The OMA declined, saying it would participate only if it could supply a speaker of its choosing to share the stage with Mr Phillips.

And that?s not all. The students were told by the Communications Department that they could not list the upcoming speech on the university?s web page unless they agreed to a joint appearance with the OMA-preferred speaker. Finally, according to the comments of a member of the College Republicans, the Director of OMA told them that ?students were offended? by their upcoming event, that there would be posters on campus attacking them personally and as a group, and finally ?the Director stated that it would been better if we would have a white individual coming to speak.?

Mr. Phillips is scheduled to speak Friday evening, for any of you in the vicinity of Selinsgrove, Pa.

Full post as published by Discriminations on April 02, 2008 (boomark / email).