The University at Buffalo (State University of New York) is hostile toward pro-lifers, according to two separate lawsuits filed in the past 30 days. This week, the University was sued for charging an exorbitant fee to UB Students for Life for holding an abortion debate, and earlier a lawsuit was filed by the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform for allowing pro-abortion activists to disrupt their rally, including a profanity-shouting professor (who was finally arrested).
For background, read Buffalo Univ. Professor Arrested for Bullying Pro-life Students and also read Buffalo Univ. Favors Gays, Suspends Christian Organization
In addition, read 'Higher Education' Indoctrinates Pro-abortion: Poll as well as Obama Administration Muzzles College Students' Moral Speech
-- From "Legal Organization Files Federal Lawsuit Against UB for Charging Student Group Security Fee for Abortion Debate" by Stephen Adkins, University Herald 7/2/13
'Alliance Defending Freedom,' an Arizona based religious-freedom legal group, has filed a federal lawsuit against the University at Buffalo [UB] for demanding a security fee of $650 to hold an abortion debate from a pro-life student group. Other student groups are not charged for similar events.
The legal group argues that the security fee policy violates the First Amendment because it gives college officials discretion to discriminate against speech based on its viewpoint.
David Hacker, [ADF] senior legal counsel, said that when 'UB Students for Life' reserved space for a debate on abortion in April, the university asked them to pay a fee for campus security because officials thought the event would be controversial. On the other hand, when another student group organized a religious debate on belief, it wasn't asked to pay any security fee.
The debate on abortion was attended by approximately 225 people and caused no disturbance whatsoever.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "University at Buffalo charged pro-life student group $650 in 'unconstitutional fees,' lawsuit alleges" by Joshua Rhett Miller, FoxNews.com 7/2/13
UB Students for Life, an official student organization at the school since 2012, held a pro-life abortion debate on April 18 and were instructed by school officials to hire university police to attend the event since it involved “controversial” expression. School officials later charged the group $649.63, or $150 more than the group’s entire annual Student Association funding even though one of the officers sat outside and read the newspaper.
“A public university is commonly known as the ‘marketplace of ideas,’” according to the 33-page lawsuit, which was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. “That marketplace depends on free and vigorous debate between students — debate that is silenced when university policies regulate speech based on content and viewpoint and vest administrators with unbridled discretion to impose fees for the exercise of speech.”
“University officials cannot arbitrarily decide to deem an event ‘controversial’ and then weigh down students with burdensome fees to engage in constitutionally protected free speech,” Hacker said in a statement.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Pro-life group sues UB for allowing its demonstration to be disrupted" by Phil Fairbanks, News Staff Reporter, The Buffalo News 6/5/13
The group, in a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo, accuses UB of violating the free speech rights of pro-life advocates who organized a rally and display outside the student union in April.
The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform [CBR], the pro-life group that sponsored the event, said the suit is designed to prevent the university and its police from condoning future protests against pro-life supporters.
The group claims its rally, a university-approved event, was disrupted when pro-choice supporters showed up and began waving white sheets in front of the display and otherwise interfering with its pro-life message.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Pro-Abortion Activists Permitted to Disrupt Pro-Life Display at SUNY-Buffalo; Federal Lawsuit Filed" posted at American Freedom Law Center 6/4/13
. . . a federal civil rights lawsuit [was filed] in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York against several officials from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo) for permitting an unruly mob of pro-abortion protestors to purposely disrupt a peaceful, pro-life demonstration on the university’s campus.
CBR and the student organization followed the university’s procedures to reserve a prime location outside of the Student Union for the pro-life display. The request was initially met with resistance from university officials. However, the pro-life organizers pointed out to the hostile officials that this location had been reserved in the past for student speech activity; therefore, to deny access to this forum for the pro-life display would violate the First Amendment. The officials reluctantly approved the pro-lifers’ request.
During the first day (April 15th) of the GAP display, approximately 20 to 30 protestors gathered outside of the Student Union. Initially, the protestors stayed approximately 20 feet away from the GAP signs, thereby allowing the pro-lifers to engage in their free speech activity without interference. However, later in the day—and after observing the effectiveness of the abortion photo display—the protestors formed a barricade directly in front of the display, purposefully blocking the pro-life signs and thereby unlawfully interfering with the pro-lifers’ free speech activity.
The pro-lifers resumed the GAP display outside of the Student Union on April 16, 2013. . . . a larger group of protestors decided to form a solid row in front of the display to completely block the signs. . . .
Despite the clear violation of the pro-life demonstrators’ constitutional rights, the officers refused to stop the disruption, stating that they were under orders not to interfere with the pro-abortion protestors. This order was confirmed by the Chief of Police, who remained at the scene with his arms folded, refusing to protect the pro-lifers’ constitutional right to free speech.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
