Ninety-one students filed a joint grievance with student government Friday against The Insurgent in response to anti-Christianity articles and illustrations published in its March issue.
The grievance, organized by the recently formed coalition Students of Faith, alleges that the content was “discriminatory, knowingly false, slanderous and egregious.”
ASUO Programs Administrator David Goward said Wednesday that he had not ruled on the grievance because he was waiting for input from University General Counsel Melinda Grier.
Last month, Goward ruled against a similar grievance filed by student Zachary White because he said The Insurgent didn’t break any University or ASUO rules.
Members of The Insurgent could not be reached for comment Wednesday about the latest grievance.
The Insurgent’s recent edition included several articles critical of Catholicism and Christianity, cartoons satirizing Jesus’ crucifixion and a centerfold picture depicting an aroused Jesus in a nude embrace with another man.
Students of Faith formed “in response to the recent escalation of religious intolerance at the University or Oregon,” according to a May 4 press release from the group.
“As a publicly funded student group, the Insurgent does not have the protection of unlimited free speech that is bestowed upon private organizations,” according to the press release.
The grievance asks that The Insurgent publicly apologize for “the slanderous speech and images,” promise never to “discriminate in such a hateful and angry manner toward any religious group,” and revise its mission statement to include “protection against discrimination” toward all religions.
“We hope to settle this issue promptly and justly,” the press release says. “However, if the University and the ASUO continue to deny wrongdoing on the part of the Insurgent, we will appeal those decisions. We have a team of five local attorneys working on our behalf who are committed to resolving this issue.”
The coalition was started by members of the St. Thomas More Newman Center, a Catholic campus ministry, according to Michael Tarascio, who attends the center.
The petition includes signatures from members of student organizations such as the Black Student Union, Christus House, MEChA and Alpha Omega.
Freshman Philomena Ivezic, who signed the petition, said she opposed her student fees being used to help fund The Insurgent, which received $18,349 in incidental fees this year. She does not want her money to go toward a group that offends any race, religion or socioeconomic class, she said.
“I don’t think free speech should be suppressed, but that doesn’t mean what people say will be right, or inoffensive, or that they shouldn’t be ostracized for it,” Ivezic said.
The grievance states that The Insurgent violated three University policies: discrimination, fabrication of information and separation of church and state.
The grievance states that The Insurgent is a part of the University by virtue of its ASUO recognition, its use of student-funded incidental fees and its access to University facilities and equipment.
However, the University doesn’t recognize The Insurgent as a University group. Officials state that ASUO recognition is not the same as University recognition and therefore the University can neither control nor reprimand The Insurgent.
“Similarly, receipt of incidental fees or the ability to request that incidental fee money be used for certain expenses do not make an organization part of the University,” wrote Randy Geller, directo of policy and legal affairs in the General Counsel’s Office, in an e-mail to the Emerald.
“Under state law, incidental fees may be expended for ‘programs found to be advantageous to the cultural or physical development of students,’” Geller wrote. “The program need not be part of the University. … Access to University facilities and services is not necessarily predicated on being part of the University.”
Members of The Insurgent staff accused the University of censorship last month after the it refused to mail issues as it had done in the past. University officials said the decision to hold the issues was related to postal regulations and was not related to the publication’s content.
“The Insurgent may be granted access to University facilities but is not permitted to use the University’s non-profit bulk mailing permit because of U.S. Postal Service rules,” Geller wrote.
The Insurgent’s controversial issue garnered national attention in April when William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, wrote letters criticizing the issue to University President Dave Frohnmayer, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, state legislators and the chancellor of the Oregon University System, according to the Catholic League’s Web site.
Contact the crime, health and safety reporter at [email protected]