or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Ohio University, however, operates under a different set of rules.
|
The First Amendment of the United States says, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Ohio University, however, operates under a different set of rules. Last year the university actually had to debate the rules for campus demonstrations. This past summer, OU Board of Trustees Chairman C. Daniel DeLawder expressed his contempt for Freedom of Information Act requests. Last month, the trustees nearly prohibited members from publicly dissenting about board decisions. And most recently, the Russ College of Engineering disciplined an aviation employee for her role in circulating a petition. That bumping noise you just heard was the Founding Fathers rolling over in their graves. This latest violation should not be ignored or forgotten. Maureen Young, who previously worked as an aviation administration coordinator, was transferred for insubordination according to the letter written by Dennis Irwin, dean of Russ College. Her crime was circulating a petition calling for the department to reconsider their decision to keep instructional aircraft outside, rather than pay the fee for hangar space. Aviation students had voiced concerns that the time they spent removing and replacing outside storage covers had cut into the time they could spend flying, which slowed down course completion. At least two other employees also signed the petition; however, neither was transferred as a consequence. Perhaps the strangest part of the story is that the department did what the petition had asked - the aircraft are now stored in hangars. Young was transferred anyway. The college may not understand free speech, but it certainly understands hypocrisy. OU officials need to take a long, hard look at this pattern. Unless Cutler Hall and its subsidiaries have declared themselves a sovereign state - a move that would hardly be surprising - the First Amendment still stands. If OU officials need a refresher, POLS 101 is offered in two sections next quarter. |
4
Opinion
