Conservative Club Derecognized Over Horowitz

Via Students For Academic Freedom we find out that Central Michigan University has derecognized and revoked the registered student organization privileges of Campus Conservatives for hosting nationally-known conservative author and commentator David Horowitz on Oct. 14, 2008.

Student Life assistant director Tom Idema sent an e-mail message dated Friday to Campus Conservatives president Bryant Greiner indicating the school’s oldest political club and only outlet for conservative students was no longer “recognized as a registered student organization and granted the privileges that are associated with being a RSO.”

No explanation or reason was given for the de-recognizing of the club, but sources indicate that it was because Tom didn't like David Harowitz and decided to abuse the power of the office to get revenge on those who were bringing Mr. Harowitz in to speak. Apparently Tom is an intolerant, hate-filled man who likes to discriminate against others who do not share his views, and is willing to use and abuse the power of his position at a public university to force his hate-filled intolerant views on others.

Tom Idema didn't even have the authority to take this measure, as according to the student handbook, there is a process that one has to go through before revoking the standing of a registered student organization, which includes notification and a hearing that affords a student organization its due process rights, neither of which were done. Tom apparently doesn't care though about due process, individual rights, liberty, freedom, or diversity, instead pushing a liberal agenda and attempting to shut down any group that offers up alternative views.

Without standing as a registered student organization, Campus Conservatives was unable to reserve a room at any CMU facilities, and are being forced to meet as fugitives in public rooms within facilities. But this is the not the first time that publicly-funded CMU has attempted to destroy conservative voices on campus.

CMU has tried repeatedly since February to charge Campus Conservatives for security provided by school police officers at last October’s event with Horowitz. The organization has steadfastly refused to pay for police protection, citing a letter from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education legal defense group to then-CMU president Michael Rao warning that such a charge would be unconstitutional under the decision Forsyth County v. Nationalist Movement . CMU has made no attempts to charge any other student organization for police services, singling out only the conservative voices on campus for expressing voices that the university disagrees with.

In October 2001, CMU students were prohibited from displaying the American flag on doors to student dorms because it was “offensive” to Muslim students. Under threat of litigation from FIRE, the unconstitutional prohibition was dropped.

For more information about this story, including how you can help, please contact cmucampusconservatives@gmail.com.

To contact your legislator about this event and encourage them to cease funding a public university that acts in such a manner, find and email your Michigan House member by clicking here.

To contact someone at Central Michigan University to express your outrage, try contacting Student life at studentlife@cmich.edu, or Alumni Relations at alumni@cmich.edu, or the Student Ombuds Office at ombuds@cmich.edu, or contact members of the Board of Trustees by going to this link and then emailing various members.