Grand Valley State University campus security threatened students with arrest for handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution on campus earlier this month.
Members of the newly-formed Turning Point USA chapter at GVSU — a GLIAC rival — were handing out pocket constitutions and informational pamphlets when campus officers approached them and instructed them to stop, saying they were in violation of the school’s solicitation policy. Fox News’ Brit Hume featured the incident on the Nov. 4 airing of “On the Record” and invited Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn to discuss “campus craziness” on the segment.
Arnn said he doesn’t think Hillsdale has a solicitation policy, and he’d be “astonished” if there were one in place.
“Gracious, I mean, if you’re handing out constitutions you wouldn’t do anything about it unless it becomes a nuisance and people can’t get to class, and then you’d just ask them to stop,” Arnn said. “We don’t live like that here, and I’m proud to say it.”
One involved student recorded the incident on GVSU’s campus. Campus Reform, a website that covers campus news, published the video online.
In the video, one officer told the students they needed permission from the office of student life to hand out literature on campus, regardless of whether the students are asking for money or not.
When the students asked what would happen if they chose to continue, one officer said the students would be referred to the office of student life and non-students would be asked to leave campus.
“If you continue to stay here,” the officer said, “then we’ll need to arrest you” for trespassing.
The students complied with the officer’s instructions.
The officer assured the students that it was not a violation of First Amendment rights.
“Please understand I’m a firm believer in the First Amendment,” he said.
Mary Lyon, GVSU’s associate vice president for university communications, told Campus Reform that the university, too, “fully supports free speech but must balance that with its commitment to teach without disruptions.”
Lyon said to solicit materials on campus, students must register with the office of student life and secure a room or specific space for the activity.
“This is not to regulate content but rather time, manner, and place so that the educational mission is not disrupted,” she said. “In this particular case, in addition to not registering with the office of student life, after being instructed of the procedure, the group also used a megaphone causing disruption and a complaint to the university police department.”
On “On the Record,” Arnn said Hillsdale encourages students to use their First Amendment right of free speech.
“Relations at a college need to be civil and academic,” Arnn said on the air. “The word college means ‘partnership.’ It’s something a bunch of people do together. They proceed by arguing evidence and proof. You’ve got to have scope for that, or nobody will learn, and people will be at odds with each other all the time.”