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Student government told their rule goes against campus policy
The student government at Catholic University of America recently voted to ban journalists from quoting or recording them during their meetings, a decision that has been overruled by administration.
“A Bill to Enact Freedom of Deliberation in SGA Senate Meetings,” passed in mid-November, banned audio and video recording of meetings or directly quoting the student senators.
According to the resolution, individuals in the meeting room cannot “publicly publish, quote, or attribute any statement, position, or remark to a specific Senator, attendee, or member of the University community without that individual’s explicit consent.”
The dean of students at the private institution in Washington D.C. subsequently informed the student government the new rule cannot be enforced, citing the overriding University Recording Policy.
“The purpose of the Recording Policy is to promote a campus environment that supports open dialogue while respecting personal privacy and discouraging secret recordings of private meetings or conversations. However … the prohibition of recording does not extend to public events,” stated Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Jon Sawyer in an email to student government leaders, according to the Tower student newspaper.
“The policy expressly states that it ‘does not apply to the recording of town halls, conferences, or other public events hosted by the University or event sponsors.’”
“In practice,” he added, “this means that when a student organization advertises or opens an event to the broader campus community …is treated as public. In those cases, the Recording Policy’s consent requirement does not apply, and attendees may record or report on what occurs.”
The university’s media relations team did not respond to a request from The College Fix seeking comment.
The Tower, an independent student newspaper at the Catholic University of America, was the primary group affected by the legislation passed by the student government, prohibiting its journalists from audio and video recording meetings.
The bill would have made official minutes the “permanent and authoritative account of the actions, motions, and remarks made in Senate proceedings.”
It was introduced by student Sen. Jack Hermes and received sponsorships from two others, the Tower reports, adding the resolution initially passed 17-2. The two student senators who voted to oppose had voiced concerns regarding free speech rights and the fact that student journalists would be forced to paraphrase them rather than quote them directly.
After its initial passage, the Tower independent student newspaper—operating for over 100 years—was not allowed to record student government meetings or directly quote their school representatives.
MaggieMae Dethlefsen, editor-in-chief of the Tower, told The College Fix the bill “put us in a weird position of trying to report to our full extent while they try and come for us.”
The senators had justified their resolution by expressing concern over the fact that speakers may hesitate to speak frankly on topics in fear of being misquoted if the newspaper was allowed to continue recording their meetings.
In a news release, the Tower responded by stating it “raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and freedom of the press on campus.”
“University policy explicitly allows the recording of open meetings, aligning with state open records and open meetings principles. By attempting to override those protections, the resolution would set a dangerous precedent for censorship and suppression of the press within student government.”
The impetus of the resolution, according to the Tower, was a senator who was upset at being quoted as saying “this is nazism” during a squabble over a campus event.
However, the Tower argued the effort was just another example of the lack of transparency found in the student government.
“At least some members of the senate are upset about being quoted in articles about the student government because they say things on the floor that aren’t appropriate,” Dethlefsen told The Fix.“This was just the attempt on their part to make sure that they can continue saying those things, just with none of the responsibility.”
Editor’s note: After publication, Sen. Hermes provided a statement to The College Fix regarding this incident. We have published his comment in full below.
The legislation passed by Senate XI last month does not restrict speech, as external recording of our Senate meetings has already been prohibited for years. Our goal was simply to codify an existing practice—one that mirrors the procedures of the University’s Academic Senate and Board of Trustees. Our meetings are open to the University community, we publish minutes following every meeting, and we remain fully transparent about our deliberations. Additionally, the legislation does not restrict the Senate from publishing a recording of its own meetings in full, which we have discussed as a healthy and transparent alternative.
Regarding The Tower, it is not an independent publication, but a university-sponsored student organization with an intent to intimidate opposing viewpoints. It has published hit pieces on conservative professors, claimed that “CUA College Republicans Oppose First Amendment on Campus,” and even attempted to prevent certified SGA candidates from joining their sponsored debate solely due to ideological disagreements.
Most ironically, after this Senate meeting they published an article on the matter and proceeded to disabled comments on social media platforms—silencing the very feedback they claim to defend. They are a disgrace to the thousands of journalists and publications across the country who work with integrity to preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution. Instead of fostering dialogue, they have chosen to weaponize their platform to smear students and faculty who do not align with their ideology. The student body deserves better than a publication that substitutes partisanship for reporting and hostility for truth.
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