Got an email from some folks at the Leadership Institute, a group that “helps conservative students start newspapers and organizations on college campuses,” that said the University of Illinois - Chicago kicked a student recruiter off campus - for being conservative.

According to the email:

On Thursday, September 14, four armed campus police officers confronted the conservative recruiter, Matthew Hebb, as he was leaving the campus. Hebb had spent the morning recruiting students for new campus groups.

Officer Bobby Smith told Hebb that he could not distribute literature on campus as the school was not public property. Smith told Hebb to leave campus immediately and get permission from the administrative office before returning.

Hebb went to the administrative office and was told that the university could limit free speech to two designated “free speech zones” in the student center. When he asked why other students were allowed to pass out literature without university approval the administrators could not give him an answer.

“It is very unusual for a police officer to just come up to someone and ask him to leave,” said Jeffrey Melton, chairman of the Freedom Alliance, a student group started last year with the help of The Leadership Institute’s Campus Leadership Program.

There was “something abnormal about that situation,” Melton said. “Normally police would only be called if someone was being disruptive.”

The police said they were responding to four anonymous phone calls but could not disclose what the callers claimed. Officers Smith and Martin Ruiz responded and questioned Hebb. Two other officers were called as backup.

Hebb noticed several other students handing out information on topics from global warming to Communism. Those students told Hebb that they had not been questioned by police and were free to distribute fliers without administrative approval on campus grounds.

“I see people on campus distributing literature all the time,” said Chris Kelle, president of the UIC College Republicans. “If the school’s policy is to not let non-students on campus to distribute information then it must hold true to everybody.”

Campus Police Sergeant Dana Bubek said she was “concerned” about the severity of the response and assured Hebb that she would discuss the incident with the officers.

“This should make even the most liberal-minded student troubled that their First Amendment rights are trampled on their own campus,” said Hebb.

“That morning while recruiting conservative students, Matt quietly endured threats, profanity, and accusations of being ‘racist’ from UIC students. And he’s the one the police target?” said Steve Stockman, director of the Leadership Institute’s Campus Leadership Program.

Here are the fliers Hebb was handing out.

Flier #1 - Front | Flier #1 - Back

Flier #2 - Front | Flier #2 - Inside | Flier #2 - Back

Update: Here’s UIC’s posted policy on on-Campus “demonstrations” - though I wouldn’t necessarily consider the handing out of flyers a “demonstration”…(hat tip: Nita Rene):

I. General Policy

The University of Illinois at Chicago, in its role as an academic institution, is committed to an environment in which a variety of ideas can be reasonably proposed and critically examined. The existence of the free exchange of ideas and the expression of dissent within the University community are indications of intellectual vitality and social awareness.

Implicit in these freedoms is the right to demonstrate in a peaceful and non-disruptive manner. The University expects that those who enjoy these freedoms must also accept responsibility for order and discipline. The regulation of time, place, and manner for all campus demonstrations is a legitimate and necessary obligation of the University. The content neutral rules set forth in this Policy are intended to protect the rights of those involved in the demonstration, others in the University community, and the institution from unreasonable disruption

The use of the University forum does not imply acceptance or endorsement by the University of the views expressed.

Read more…

1. Should we be surprised? I hope we get a video of this the next time.

   Comment by mcconnell — 2:35 pm
   

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