LA Jewish Journal on MSU Suspension: Quotes Statement from OC Task Force

September 7, 2010

UCI upholds sanction on Muslim Student Union

Decision cuts group’s yearlong suspension to four months.

by Lisa Armony, Contributing Writer

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) has upheld its decision to sanction its Muslim Student Union (MSU), though it cut short the group’s yearlong suspension to four months. The group may not officially use university facilities during the fall 2010 quarter, recruit new members or raise funds, all part of the fallout for what school officials deemed the MSU’s violation of university codes of conduct related to the repeated disruption of a speech on campus in February by Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

ZOA: UC Irvine’s 8 month investigation of MSU Hamas/Galloway Fundraiser “whitewash”

ZOA Condemns UC Irvine For Continued Whitewashing of Muslim Student Union’s Wrongdoing, Despite Evidence of Fundraising For Terrorist Group Hamas

UC President Yudof Supports

Irvine’s Whitewash

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) condemns the University of California, Irvine for once again irresponsibly whitewashing the misconduct of the Muslim Student Union, a registered student group on campus – despite the University’s finding that the Muslim Student Union engaged in unauthorized fundraising on campus on May 21, 2009, and despite evidence that the funds may have been illegally provided to the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.  The ZOA also criticizes UC Irvine for absolving university employees who attended the Muslim Student Union’s fundraising event, even though the employees knew or should have known that the fundraising was unauthorized and nevertheless did not stop or report it.

Retiring Manuel Gomez on Oren disruption: “I need to restrain myself because I am the last appeal once the deliberations are completed at the Dean of Students level.”

Here is what  the “restrained “outgoing Vice Chancellor Gomez said in an interview in  this weeks New University

“Q: The Michael Oren incident seems to be a recent example of this. Could you comment on how the campus has chosen to deal with it?

Vice-Chancellor Gomez: “…this is a very serious situation.” Now what?

An Open Letter from Vice Chancellor Gomez

By Manuel Gomez

Feb. 15, 2010

New University

Dear UCI Students

Over the past few years, we have had numerous opportunities to talk about free speech – about what is and is not protected within the broad scope of the First Amendment. Now, following the incident at Israeli Ambassador Oren’s disrupted address on Feb. 8, it is clear we need to review some actions that are not protected and do not legally constitute free speech.

Preventing someone else from speaking is not the same thing as exercising free speech. As Chancellor Drake has stated, “A great university depends on the free exchange of ideas. This is non-negotiable.” Disrupting someone else’s right to speak is antithetical to the principles of the First Amendment because one cannot claim the right to speak in service of depriving someone else of that right. In some contexts we call that censorship.

In California, anyone “without authority of law willfully disturbs or breaks up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in its character…” can be charged with a misdemeanor under California Penal Code §403. Other penal codes can apply as well. In short, this is a very serious situation.

No one can steal the right to speak from someone else. No one’s right to speak is greater than anyone else’s. If you want to claim your right to speak, you must acknowledge and respect the same right for everyone.

Manuel N. Gómez
Vice Chancellor,
Student Affairs

Hate Speech: “Difficult to define precisely”?

In contrast to the comments in the previous post:

” …Hate speech is difficult to define precisely.” It is largely defined by the person individual hearing it: what some or many might find hateful or offensive, others may not….” UCI Chancellor Michael Drake ” Message on hate speech” May 26.2006.

“..One persons hate speech is another persons education” — UCI Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez October 18, 2006.

“We have 1,000 guest speakers on campus every year. Could I evaluate them and say this one is anti-Semitic? I could not. What I could say is that as a person and a campus, we abhor hate speech, period.” — UCI Chancellor Michael Drake May 30, 2007.

“…I do agree there were certainly instances of boorish and intimidating behavior.  Some of this behavior involved people not associated with the University.  Neither the University nor the Police Department has the means or ability to control such rude or obnoxious behavior…” UC Irvine Police Chief Paul Henisey—January 20, 2009

“…UC Irvine did experience instances of racist, hateful and anti-Semitic speech on our campus last month.   The Chancellor has stated on many occasions that he personally finds this type of speech abhorrent, offensive and counterproductive…” Ramona H. Agrela, UCI Associate Chancellor–June 12, 2009