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Campus Conservatives may have to pay Horowitz's security costs
By: Heidi Fenton
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: News
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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.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 9
Eddie Kelly
posted 10/15/08 @ 10:03 AM EST
The Administration should stop wasting tax dollars by reviewing "past practices."
A simple search by the General Counsel of case law would reveal CMU's position is unconstitutional and illegal. (Continued…)
Dani
posted 10/15/08 @ 4:39 PM EST
Honestly...are you kidding? It's policy to pay for additional security. Everything costs something. For every program we are required to have protection in place for the community that attends each event and for the speaker/performer themselves. (Continued…)
Driver
posted 10/15/08 @ 5:02 PM EST
"Horowitz is known nationally for exposing radical professors who are ex-terrorists, racists, murderers, sexual deviants, anti-Semites and al-Qaeda supports. (Continued…)
What happened to journalism?
posted 10/15/08 @ 6:21 PM EST
Why was this story identical to what was posted online on Monday? There should have been an update based on David Horowitz's lecture last evening. Why didn't the paper interview him or ask his reaction? This is a horrible excuse for a piece of journalism. (Continued…)
Frank
posted 10/16/08 @ 12:50 PM EST
Honestly I do not understand why the Campus Conservatives could not have provided their own security for the event. According to his press release posted on Spartan Spectator (http://spartanspectator. (Continued…)
OneWhoKnows
posted 10/16/08 @ 2:00 PM EST
Long time observers of the Central Michigan University scene will recall the time when George Lincoln Rockwell of the American Nazi Party spoke to an overflow crowd of students and the general public at Finch Fieldhouse, that security for the event was provided gratis by the Administration, and there was absolutely no trouble at the event. (Continued…)
Chris
posted 10/17/08 @ 5:49 AM EST
Here is website you all should consider.
http://www.campusprogress.org/page/content/IFAW/
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