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Carothers: Senate can't 'impose sanctions' on College Republicans
Andy Blais
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News
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04/18/07 - In an unprecedented move, University of Rhode Island President Robert L. Carothers directed the Student Senate to end its demand for a public apology from the College Republicans.
Five weeks ago, the senate made its decision on the White Heterosexual American Male scholarship controversy, voting unanimously for a written apology from the student group to be published in the Cigar.
The punishment also required the College Republicans to have its events and activities approved by the Student Organization Advisory and Review Committee for one year. The club responded, saying it would continue to battle what they called "forced speech."
On April 6, however, Carothers sent a memo to senate President Neil Leston, bringing the issue back to the forefront. In it, Carothers wrote, "You are hereby directed, therefore, that you may not impose any sanctions on the College Republicans, or any other student group, that requires them to make public statements which are not their own."
Leston, along with LaRocca, former senator Jesse Whitsitt-Lynch and Chief Operating Officer Matt Yates met with Carothers on Monday.
"The senate is focusing on a very narrow issue … they need to see the larger picture," Carothers said.
The issue of forced speech is the center of conflict between URI administrators and senate. The administration, along with the College Republicans and its legal counsel, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, believes that by asking the student group to apologize, the senate is disregarding the Constitution and the First Amendment.
"As I have expressed to the current chair of SOARC … my concerns are that forced speech is a violation of the First Amendment … I would strongly recommend they take it out," Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Dougan said.
FIRE's senior program officer Tara Sweeney agreed, saying the mandatory apology is "highly unconstitutional because it is forced speech."
Five weeks ago, the senate made its decision on the White Heterosexual American Male scholarship controversy, voting unanimously for a written apology from the student group to be published in the Cigar.
The punishment also required the College Republicans to have its events and activities approved by the Student Organization Advisory and Review Committee for one year. The club responded, saying it would continue to battle what they called "forced speech."
On April 6, however, Carothers sent a memo to senate President Neil Leston, bringing the issue back to the forefront. In it, Carothers wrote, "You are hereby directed, therefore, that you may not impose any sanctions on the College Republicans, or any other student group, that requires them to make public statements which are not their own."
Leston, along with LaRocca, former senator Jesse Whitsitt-Lynch and Chief Operating Officer Matt Yates met with Carothers on Monday.
"The senate is focusing on a very narrow issue … they need to see the larger picture," Carothers said.
The issue of forced speech is the center of conflict between URI administrators and senate. The administration, along with the College Republicans and its legal counsel, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, believes that by asking the student group to apologize, the senate is disregarding the Constitution and the First Amendment.
"As I have expressed to the current chair of SOARC … my concerns are that forced speech is a violation of the First Amendment … I would strongly recommend they take it out," Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Dougan said.
FIRE's senior program officer Tara Sweeney agreed, saying the mandatory apology is "highly unconstitutional because it is forced speech."
