The recent arrest of student Michaela Morales, involving the PinPoint Evangelism preachers, became an issue of debate during the Student Government Association’s meeting last Thursday.
Senator Erika Maclin, a representative of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, was the first to bring up the issue and questioned the decision during the weekly meeting.
“Why is our campus so open to have trespassers like that here?” Maclin asked.
The discussion of the First Amendment rights of the three men and free expression in general became the topic of debate for the evening.
“Organizations are allowed to be on campus once all the appropriate information and paperwork has been filled out,” SGA President Brandon McNary said. “There’s been talk of why this group was allowed, but it is a First Amendment issue.”
The incident took place two days prior to the SGA meeting and involved assault allegations between Michaela Morales, a junior social work major, and John McGlone, a preacher with PinPoint Evangelism. The female student was later arrested, and the incident is still under investigation.
“People need to understand what the First Amendment means,” said Gene Fitch, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of Student Life.
He added that people cannot support free speech strictly for their beliefs; they must support it even when a group’s message is incompatible with their own.
Fitch said a workshop held to discuss the U.S. Constitution would be more beneficial, adding that MTSU is a public institution, and students need to understand that free speech applies to everyone.
“We cannot ban people from campus based on views,” he said. “I will not apologize, and school administrators will not apologize for abiding by the law.”
Others were concerned about the possibility of the group returning to campus, what possible procedures should be taken in the future and if groups deemed “inappropriate” or “hateful” could be denied access.
“This group is mentally dangerous,” Senator Brenna McDaniel of the College of Mass Communication said, adding that she had researched the group on YouTube, did not like the group’s controversial message and does not want them back.
At-large Senator Drew Dunlop said that the SGA needs to review the approval process, and that there was not enough security at the event.
Senator Brandon Thomas of the College of Liberal Arts proposed that the SGA should host a workshop to educate students on how to react properly to controversial groups. Senator Chelsea Curtis of the College of Liberal Arts disagreed, and said a workshop is unnecessary.
McNary also addressed rumors about the accusations that Fitch was there and saw all of the incident.
“Dr. Fitch and I were in a weekly meeting in the KUC Conference Room 210,” McNary said. “His secretary, Susan Thornton, got him out of the meeting to tell him what was going on.”
Fitch said the rumors about him were completely false and unfounded. He said that police are investigating the allegations involving Morales and McGlone, and if any are true, then the appropriate school officials will address that particular issue.
SGA discusses preacher
Published: Monday, November 2, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
With how Gene Fitch has reacted to this, I say he needs to resign because he obviously does NOT have the interests of the students in mind. He is supposed to work for us, not his own ideals. The students should be able to remove University officials in the event of the official being deemed unwilling to serve the will of best interest for the students.