Freedom of speech and personal safety are basic rights we all hold dear. We work hard at Colorado College to ensure both. A recent campus issue is a case in which these principles of good compete.
On a morning in late February, students, faculty and staff arrived at CC buildings to discover fliers, posted anonymously, that included in bold type the operational specs of a sniper rifle. The flier also contained other references to guns, chainsaws and a “Fight Club” quote that concludes, “… the survival rate for everyone is zero.” And this happened within days of the horrific Valentine’s Day killings at Northern Illinois University, where five students died and 18 were injured when a former student with a shotgun and two handguns fired into a lecture hall.
The flier contained the name of the purported group that published it, but a check with the campus activities office showed no CC group by that name. My office fielded several calls from students, faculty and staff who were concerned that the fliers constituted a threat. Because we couldn’t determine who posted them, or even if they were affiliated with CC, the fliers were removed. I issued an all-campus email asking the authors to come forward. Fortunately, two students did come forward quickly. They said their fliers were intended to satirize a Feminist and Gender Studies publication.
They have every right to create a parody. But they chose to do so in what I believe was an irresponsible manner. They posted their parody anonymously, which is a violation of a community standard. And second, they apparently thought that featuring the sniper rifle specs and references to guns, chainsaws and survival rates was merely a macho expression; they didn’t consider how it might be misconstrued as a threat to personal safety on campus. An initial student conduct ruling found that they violated the college’s standards; no sanctions or punishments were issued. The students have been granted an appeal.
Each time there has been a shooting on a college campus – whether at Virginia Tech, where 33 people died and many more were wounded not even a year ago – or just days before these fliers appeared, at Northern Illinois, my phone rings and rings with calls from worried parents. They ask, “What are you doing to ensure the safety of my child?” I feel their fear and concern. This time, the calls came from students, faculty and staff.
I have been a staunch defender of free speech on this campus since the day I arrived here. I defended it in the face of alumni and community pressures when Hanan Ashrawi spoke on campus. And I will continue to defend it. I defend our students’ right to make their case. But first and foremost, I will always do what I can to maintain the safety of this campus. For without that, we would find our freedom of speech truly at risk.
