Sacramento City College campus

An attempt to remove the student body president of a California college

from office has collapsed because student government officials failed to follow state law in targeting the elected leader when he refused to censor the free speech rights of a pro-life organization on campus.

According to the Alliance Defense Fund, the recall election failed after delivery of the legal organization's cease-and-desist letter to Sacramento City College.

Officials there erupted in anger at Associated Student Government President Steve Macias when they discovered the student government had approved a routine request by the pro-life Genocide Awareness Project to have a display at the school's Constitution Day events.

According to the ADF, student government officials now have agreed to vacate their "suspension" of Macias, who had been targeted in a recall election that failed to follow state law.

"Respecting people's First Amendment rights is worthy of praise, not punishment," said ADF Litigation Staff Counsel David Hacker. "The recall election against Steve was wrongly motivated and flawed. The entire process against him began because he stood up for the free speech rights of a pro-life group. In their haste to punish him for that stand, ASG members did not follow the law. Though we are pleased that they recognize this problem and reinstated Steve as president."

Hacker said he was disappointed that a separate effort was underway to bring impeachment proceedings against Macias, because of his staunch support for the First Amendment.

"We believe this is a baseless and discriminatory attempt to silence the voice of the opposition through whatever means possible. ADF will continue to monitor Steve's situation," Hacker said.

WND previously reported on the ADF's letter regarding the attacks on Macias, a 19-year-old Christian student who refused when he was ordered to tell workers with GAP, an affiliate of the Sanctity of Human Life Network, to leave the campus.

The student government had voted unanimously to allow the Genocide Awareness Project to host a display on campus Sept. 16 and 17, after the organization submitted a routine request.

But Macias told WND Sacramento City College Vice President of Student Affairs Michael Poindexter and ASG faculty adviser Lee Weathers-Miguel pulled him out of class and demanded that he tell the pro-life group to leave campus, even though the school grounds are open to the public.

"I said, 'I can't tell them to leave. They have every right to be here.'"

He said the administrators responded, "Go out there and tell them to move their display somewhere off campus or turn their signs around. Tell them this isn't OK."

Macias responded, "I can't tell them to do any of that. They have every right to be here, and it's not my place to tell them what to do with their display."

He said school officials also told him he should have invited a pro-abortion group to the event.

"After I refused to tell the group to take it down, they said, 'We're pi--sed off about this. This is unacceptable,'" Macias said. "They said if I had invited people from the other side, this would have been OK. If I would have included Planned Parenthood in this, then it would be perfectly fine. But because I hadn't, they needed to go."

Poindexter also confronted Macias about his faith, the ADF's letter to the school explained.

"I don't see anything in the Bible that says you should do what you're doing," Poindexter told Macias, according to the letter, adding, "What does your God think about what you're doing?"

"Mr. Macias acted appropriately when he refused to remove GAP from campus because of the viewpoint of its message. But instead of garnering the support of college officials, who are charged with upholding the Constitution, Messrs. Poindexter and Weathers-Miguel have also sought to retaliate and discriminate against Mr. Macias because of his religious and political beliefs," the ADF said.

The actions involve First Amendment retaliation, deprivation of due process and equal protection, multiple violations of the state's Brown Act and conspiracy, the law firm letter said.

School officials did not return a message from WND asking for comment.

Concerned individuals may e-mail Sacramento City College or call President Kathryn Jeffery's office at (916) 558-2100, Vice President Michael Poindexter's office at (916) 558-2142 or ASG faculty adviser Lee Weathers-Miguel's office at (916) 558-2382.

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