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Conservative Young America’s Foundation students notch victory against Golden West College
A community college in California has agreed to revise its student code of conduct to allow for more controversial speech on campus to settle a lawsuit filed against it by conservative students.
Two Young America’s Foundation student activists settled their dispute with Golden West College, located in the Republican stronghold of Huntington Beach, according to a copy of the settlement published Tuesday.
Student activists Matin Samimiat and Annaliese Hutchings had alleged administrators threatened them with disciplinary actions if they continued to use extreme language to discuss controversial topics with peers, The College Fix previously reported.
The lawsuit was filed in May after the two were admonished by an administrator for engaging with students on the quad on topics such as American greatness, illegal immigration, men in women’s sports, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The settlement agreement states the Coast Community College District, which oversees Golden West, will formally repeal its prohibition of “hateful behavior” in its student code of conduct.
The district also agreed to modify its prohibition of “infliction of mental harm” by removing a clause that states “any act which purposefully demeans, degrades, or disgraces any person,” and inserting the new sentence: “Speech or other expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment, including the expression of social, ideological, or political viewpoints, does not violate this provision.”
YAF spokesman Spencer Brown praised the settlement in a statement to The College Fix, calling it a “complete victory.”
“In addition to paying each of YAF’s student defendants $17.91 — a symbolic amount representing the year the First Amendment was ratified — and attorney fees, the college district in which Golden West College operates remedied the unconstitutional policies for every school under its purview,” Brown said via email.
“This swift and decisive victory for free expression should be a warning to any school: do not infringe on students’ God-given and constitutionally protected freedoms,” Brown said, adding it shows conservative students that the nationwide YAF group will defend its members’ rights.
As part of the settlement, Institute for Free Speech attorneys were awarded $25,750.
“Students shouldn’t have to try to guess what speech is allowed by college administrators or fear punishment for taking a political stance,” said Institute for Free Speech Vice President for Litigation Alan Gura in a news release.
“Public college officials can’t silence students simply because the students’ constitutionally protected opinions might offend others—that’s exactly the kind of viewpoint discrimination the Constitution forbids. This settlement ensures that students can now engage in robust political debate without administrative censorship or threats.”
MORE: Conservative students, told to tame their criticism of Hamas and illegal immigration, file lawsuit
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS: Young America’s Foundation students engage in activism at Golden West / courtesy photos
