April 10, 2009

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Elected student leaders at American River College in Sacramento, Calif., have adopted a resolution that seeks to protect classmates from the "anti-religious and political indoctrination" of professors and others on campus.

"I think we have accomplished a historic and very significant act today by passing this resolution to advocate for a Student Bill of Rights," said student Rep. George Popko, who authored the resolution.

The measure was adopted by an 8-1 vote.

"The purpose of the resolution is to go on record asking the administration to adopt the Student Bill of Rights as official campus policy," the 22-year-old councilman said.

The resolution models activist David Horowitz's "Student Bill of Rights," a bill which was introduced to the California senate as SB 5 in 2005.

Popko says he plans to present a Student Bill of Rights Resolution containing those provisions on May 3 before the General Assembly of the Student Senate of California Community Colleges, an organization representing 2.7 million college students.

WND reported when the elected student leaders on the same campus endorsed Proposition 8, the ballot issue in California last through which voters embedded in their state constitution a definition of marriage limited to one man and one woman.

The elected leaders since then have "been embattled with the leftist faculty, student organizations and administration on our campus," they have reported.

When the conservative student leaders faced an unsuccessful recall because of their views, the Associated Press described them as "politicized Christian fundamentalists."

But protections against anti-religious discrimination are needed, according to Victor Choban, president of ARC's Freedom of Speech club, because students "do not feel safe filing a complaint against a professor due to fear of their grade"

"No student should be harassed or intimidated by their professor simply because they use their freedom of speech in a classroom discussion or essay," Choban said.

The same student board in February approved a resolution to form a committee to investigate and respond to instances of anti-religious discrimination inside the school's classrooms, but the college president vetoed the plan.

He cited the "potential" that such investigations and responses may violate his non-discrimination policies.

The result was another plan that now authorizes the formation of a committee to address anti-religious discrimination.

Resolution 09-03 calls for a "Committee on Anti-Religious Discrimination."

It states:

WHERE AS: There have been complaints and incidences regarding the presence of anti-religious discrimination and/or harassment on campus at American River College; and

WHERE AS: The Student Council has the privilege and duty to take action to ensure students' First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and religious expression are protected; and

WHERE AS: The Student Association Charter requires: "In accepting this charter, it shall be the duty of the student body to take upon itself the responsibility of self-government as set forth in the Declaration of Independence of the United States, and in so doing, to respect at all times the sovereign dignity and worth of the individual." And,

WHERE AS: The Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

BE IT HERE RESOLVED THAT: The Student Association of American River College establish a committee on Anti-Religious Discrimination, made up of at least three (3) students, selected by the Council. The committee shall seek ways to raise awareness to District anti-discrimination policies and procedures as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the current process. A monthly report of the committee's findings and/or recommendations shall be presented to the Student Council, or at the Council's request. No action taken by this committee shall interfere with established anti-discrimination policies of the District or of the college itself.

The students cited the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, adopted by the American Association of University Professors, "Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject."

They said in 1967, the AAUP's Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students affirmed the inseparability of "the freedom to teach and freedom to learn." In the words of the report, "Students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion."

The students' bill of rights document also notes: "Professors are hired to teach all students, not just students who share their political, religious and philosophical beliefs."

Popko told WND the attacks have been legion, from a Christian club unable to find a faculty adviser willing to work with students to obscene graffiti targeting student council members because of their religious beliefs.

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