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Recent messaging on a Michigan college’s free speech rock has been labeled “discriminatory harassment” under its student code of conduct by the Office of Student Development.
The Rock, a designated space for student expression at the private Albion College in southern Michigan, was painted on April 1 by the LGBriTS student organization.
The group shared photos showing the Rock painted in white, blue, and pink, the colors of the transgender flag, thanking participants for showing their support for Trans Day of Visibility on March 31.
Soon after, the Rock was spraypainted with messages such as “Jesus,” “Only 2 Genders,” O2G,” and several crosses and hearts, the Albion Pleiad, Albion College’s student newspaper reported.
Corra Santangelo, vice president of Albion’s LGBriTs, told The College Fix that this was first reported to the campus safety office by a faculty member, who alleged this was an act of hate speech.
Some students told the student newspaper that the rock was “defaced.”
Albion College’s policy states that the Rock serves as a space for student and campus organization’s expression on various issues. It requires that painting “must be in good taste and conform to the expectations Albion holds as an academic institution,” and explicitly prohibits references to alcohol.
However, the Rock’s posting policy does not specifically address the type of messaging painted in the April 2 incident.
Albion College’s Office of Media Relations and Office of Student Development did not respond to The College Fix’s requests for comment.
The Pleiad reported that on April 2, students received an email from the Office of Student Development stating the incident was considered “discriminatory harassment under the Albion College Student Handbook.” Campus safety is investigating the incident, it reported.
The Rock was “covered up with a tarp and then later repainted in the neutral colors of Albion’s heraldry,” Santangelo told The Fix.
The following day, April 3, LGBrITS hosted a “Rock Repainting” event, describing it as a response to what they characterized as transphobic vandalism.
“We will not be made invisible,” the group stated.
According to Santangelo, the president of Albion College even participated in this repainting event.
“This became likely the largest and most successful event LGBriTs has ever held as an organization, attended by many students, wider community members, faculty, queer-affirming clergy organized by our Assistant Director of Spiritual Life, and the president of Albion College, who participated in the repainting,” Santangelo said.
On April 5, LGBrITS posted updated photos of the Rock to Instagram, again painted in white, pink, and blue.
The post thanked supporters who participated in repainting the Rock and contrasted the event with what it described as painting done “in the dark of the night.”
In 2018, Albion College appeared on the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s annual “10 worst colleges for free speech” list.
“Albion College made its first appearance for its dragged-out investigation of a conservative student for joking about ‘ISIS hunting permits,'” The College Fix reported at the time.
MORE: Black student identified as vandal in spate of racist graffiti at Albion College
