Campus Reform: Northern Arizona University

The administrators at Northern Arizona University are still trying to figure out what hit them. As a Leadership Institute Field Rep I worked with the NAU Conservatives to fight back after administrators tried to shut down their YAF 9/11 display.

After releasing a youtube video that gained more than 1,500 hits exposing the NAU administrators harassing the students, local and national media outlets picked up on the story.

The Arizona Daily Sun, Drudge Report, Townhall, The Blaze, and the Daily Caller all posted stories on the absurd actions of the NAU administrators.

The media pressure became too much for the NAU administration.  They have decided to drop the charges against all the students involved in the 9/11 memorial event.  

On Monday morning, following Friday's run-in with NAU Student Life administrators, the students being tried for misconduct violations requested their hearings be extended until the next week when their attorneys could be present. 

The students wanted to make sure they were familiar with all of their rights. With the help of The Leadership Institute, they contacted both the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and the Alliance Defense Fund for legal assistance.  Both organizations took an interest, and are providing legal support to the students.

The administration responded to the student's request late Monday afternoon stating that they would, in fact, grant a hearing extension so that they could "review the situation more." 

Three hours later, the students were again contacted, and told that all charges were to be dropped.  In an email from Art Farmer, Associate Dean of Students, he stated:

"I would like to clarify that my meeting with you will not be considered a "student conduct" meeting/hearing.  While you received an official letter indicating that we needed to meet regarding allegations associated with potential violations of the Student Code of Conduct,  I will not be meeting with you to that end.  Rather, I would like to talk with you about the incident, hear your perspective, and also share the perspectives of the Student Life staff who responded on Friday.  For this reason, you may disregard the letter that was sent to you referencing any student conduct issue associated with Friday's incident as I am officially closing that aspect of the case.  I would like to meet, however, as I believe it would be productive to talk further."

This response from the administration is a prime example of Saul Alinsky's Rule for Radicals #9: "The threat is usually more terrifying then the thing itself."  

These tactics have been used successfully for decades now by the left and conservative activists are now making them their own.  By not backing down to the leftist administration's bullying, these conservative students framed the issue in the media, and highlighted that their right to free speech was severely violated.

Has your right to free speech on campus been violated? Contact your Regional Field Coordinator today!