By Rowan Behm
The Scene staff
A controversial incident involving a street preacher who visited the Meramec campus in April has prompted St. Louis Community College to update its policies to align with Missouri law on protests and other public speech.
The college also formed a team of employees who will work to educate students and de-escalate situations at risk of getting out of control.
“One thing people are often surprised by is that hate speech is protected speech,” said Keith Robinder, STLCC’s vice president for student support, based on the Wildwood campus. “Even if you are offended by it, or it’s reprehensible, it is permitted under Missouri law.”
The preacher made negative comments about Muslims and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Some students argued that he shouldn’t have been allowed to speak on campus. Others alleged that a Meramec police officer behaved inappropriately and violated their civil rights.
The college posted the following statement on its Instagram page April 12:
“While the college recognizes and respects individuals’ rights to express themselves as guaranteed by the First Amendment and the Campus Free Expression Act in Missouri, the College does not condone harassing or discriminatory behavior by members of the public, students, or College employees.”
Before the Meramec incident, college leaders had already been working to update policies and guidelines to align with Missouri law, according to D’Andre Braddix, the college’s executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The act, which was signed into law in 2015, addresses free-speech protections in outdoor spaces at public institutions.
“As we were helping the Meramec community heal and move forward from the incident, we looked at what we can do differently moving forward,” Braddix said. “Having the policies and guidelines is the minimum step.”
A committee of STLCC administrators developed the new guidelines and policies after holding public forums to get input from students, faculty and staff.
“I worked with the perspective of students first in ensuring student support is readily available when they are interacting with free expression on campus,” said committee member Shannon Nicholson, STLCC’s director for community standards and Title IX coordinator.
In the past, people or organizations planning to protest or otherwise exercise their right to public speech had to notify the college in advance. That is no longer the case. One of the things the committee did was develop a list of new restrictions. People are prohibited from:
● Using amplification devices
● Blocking vehicles or pedestrian traffic
● Getting closer than 20 feet away to
building entrances
● Significantly disrupting college activities inside or outside
● Setting up tents or other shelters
“Our philosophy as we looked at these restrictions was, ‘How do we help ensure that people have the right to engage in expressive activity on STLCC property outdoors, but … do it in a way that doesn’t disrupt and protects the college operations?’” Braddix said.
The committee also created a Free Expression Action Team (FEAT). It’s made
up of employee volunteers who undergo 90 minutes of online training and additional logistics training specific to their campuses.
The training’s goal is to make sure team members understand federal and state laws related to free speech and how they’re supported by college policies and procedures, according to Robinder.
There’s also an action component.
“We will focus on making sure folks really know how to de-escalate when there is controversy or people’s emotions are escalated,” Robinder said.
Campus presidents or vice presidents will decide whether it’s necessary to activate the team during protests or other public speech.
“We want students that would be interacting with (people expressing opinions on campus) to be aware of the rights of those speakers and aware of their own rights as students and as participants on our campus,” Nicholson said.
Finally, the committee defined the role of campus police in protests and other public speech. Mainly, they’re responsible for keeping all parties safe while FEAT members talk to students and share resources.
Police will undergo “bias training” starting next semester, Braddix said. The training program is still being developed.
The first round of FEAT training included 36 administrators, faculty and staff members from all four STLCC campuses. Robinder expects to recruit more volunteers on an annual basis, likely in August.
“We see this as a team that will always be in place,” he said. When appropriate, team members will refer students affected by protests or other public speech to the Student Advocacy Resource Center, counseling services, campus leaders, Campus Life and other places they can get assistance.