FEATURED
ANALYSIS
JOLIET, Ill. – Pro-life students at Joliet Junior College continue to advocate for preborn babies, moms, and families despite obstacles they say are being put in place by the administration.
“In some ways, the administration has been helpful,” Caroline Cannon told The College Fix.
“They let us charter, but we’ve definitely faced some roadblocks with them,” Cannon, the president of the group, told The Fix during an on-campus interview on Monday, Nov. 17.
Administrators have created “special rules” that seem to only apply to Students for Life, or possibly a few other clubs, according to Cannon (pictured). This includes a requirement to have a faculty adviser at every event.
It is “very difficult to find a faculty advisor that’s willing to not only help out your club, but be very open in their pro-life beliefs on a campus,” where most faculty are pro-choice, Cannon told The Fix.
During a tabling event on Nov. 17, The Fix observed numerous conversations between members and students, faculty, or staffers in the cafeteria.
Some took interest in the club, signing up for more information or grabbing merchandise. Others engaged in conversation, defending their support for abortion.
During the several hours The Fix was on campus, there were no disruptions or outright signs of hostility.
That is not always the case, however.
“We’ve just had a lot of pushback from students and then the administration kind of saying that it’s our fault that we are getting kind of harassed,” Cannon said. The group has been “discriminated against because we’re being too vocal or too controversial”
“So, we’ve definitely been kind of blamed for a lot of the controversy on campus in the past couple months,” she said.
Looking forward, the pro-life group wants to bring in a big-name speaker like Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, or Lydia Davis, who also presents on campus for SFLA.
Joliet Junior College Students for Life also wants to “continue to grow and do a lot of events.”
Cannon said the national Students for Life group has been helpful, providing resources to assist their group. SFLA’s legal team also sent a letter to Joliet Junior College officials about the situation on campus.
Administration shifts blame to pro-life students
In a related blog post for Students for Life of America, Cannon said administrators told the group to meet virtually or “censor” themselves in order to avoid controversy.
This stance drew criticism from Robert Shibley, a free speech expert with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
“If their events are being disrupted the college has a responsibility to dedicate the resources necessary to make sure they can go forward without being disrupted,” Shibley said. “Otherwise, they’re allowing a heckler’s veto to be established.”
The campus has previously provided security free of charge to the pro-life group.
Shibley said that the administrators are wrong to tell students to change their message to avoid disruptions. “[This is] exactly the kind of thing the First Amendment does not allow, because that puts people who are most willing to be disruptive or violent in charge of what can be said on a college campus.”
“It incentivizes everyone to be as disruptive as possible in order to more effectively silence their enemies or opponents,” Shibley said.
He affirmed campuses must “work with” students to ensure their right to uninterrupted events is protected.
Joliet Junior College disputes allegations
The community college disputed some of Cannon’s allegations and added context to others.
“All recognized student organizations, without exception, are required to have an advisor present for official college-sponsored activities,” Kelly Rohder-Tonelli told The College Fix via email. The executive director of strategic engagement called this policy “longstanding.”
She said groups can have multiple advisors.
“To provide flexibility and reduce workload, groups are encouraged to identify multiple advisors or co-advisors who can share responsibilities across meetings, tabling events, fundraisers, and off-campus activities,” Rohder-Tonelli said. “Many student groups utilize this model to maintain consistent coverage without limiting their programming or participation.”
The communications director also challenged the claim that the administration said the group should tone down its views.
“JJC upholds students’ rights to lawful expression and the free exchange of ideas, even when those ideas prompt strong reactions,” she said.
Rohder-Tonelli also said:
The college did not instruct the SFL organization to change its beliefs or restrict its advocacy. Recommendations such as meeting virtually or adjusting formats were, in fact, not directed to Students for Life, but offered to another student group whose local chapter members expressed concerns about safety and continuity following a widely publicized national incident. These options were shared solely as voluntary strategies to help that organization continue operations during a period of uncertainty. They were never mandated, nor were they tied to the content of the organization’s views.
The college says its “priority is to ensure that all student organizations can meet, express their viewpoints safely, and conduct their activities without disruption, while the college maintains compliance with student safety protocols and institutional policies.”
