Hazo W. Carter Jr.: A progressive thinker on the matter of retaliation

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the WVSU Free Press published two seperate, but related stories.

On Tuesday, the Free Press reposted a story from The Houston Chronicle about an additional $350,000 a federal jury awarded three former Texas Southern University students. On August 1, the jury awarded William G. Hudson, Justin G. Jordan and Oliver J. Brown, known as the TSU 3, $190,000 in compensatory damages in a freedom-of-speech lawsuit they filed against the university.

In their suit, the TSU 3 alleged university officials, including former President Priscilla Slade, violated their First Amendment rights following their efforts to expose corruption on campus. In awarding the TSU the additional $350,000 in puntitive damages on August 7, the jury said it wanted to send a strong message against retaliation.

On Wednesday, an article from the Student Press Law Center concerning S. B. 1370 in California was reposted. After passing the Califorinia Senate 72-1, S. B. 1370, the Journalism Teacher Protection Act, was sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on August 5 for signature.

According to SPLC, S. B. 1370 was initially introducted into the California Assembly in 2006 after Janet Ewell, the student newspaper adviser for Rancho Alamitos High School, was removed from her position as adviser after she permitted students to write editorials critical of school employees and facilities. Broadened to protect all teachers, S.B. 1370 shields "an employee from being dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, transferred, or otherwise retaliated against for" protecting students exercising their constitutional rights.

Seeing how a jury and lawmakers had to step in and it in Texas and California, respectfully, it's refreshing to know that retaliation is not a problem in smaller educational instiutions like State. Students, faculty, staff and alumni should be proud that the Mountain State's oldest historically black university has such a progessive thinker in President Hazo W. Carter Jr.

In light of retaliation only recently being addressed in Texas and California, let us recall the insightful and harrowing words spoken by Dr. Carter nearly two years ago on Nov. 30, 2006:

"We will not tolerate retaliation. If there is
ever any of that kind of threat, you can come to one of us."

Bill terminating retaliation against journalism advisors now on Schwarzenegger's desk

Sacramento, Calif. — The California State Senate passed a bill August 5 that would protect journalism advisers and other teachers against retaliation by administrators because of student speech, but because of budget issues, the bill might not be signed or vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger until as late as the end of September.

The bill, S.B.1370, authored by Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), passed through the Senate 31-2 and the Assembly 72-1.

"I expect the Governor to sign this bill into law, as has consistently supported our efforts to make sure true freedom of the press is alive and well on our campuses," Yee said in a press release.

For more on this story, go to The Student Press Law Center