Wish I had posted this earlier, but here’s the release we sent out to the press earlier this month. Looks good, if I do say so myself!
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PRESS CONFERENCE:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, NOON–CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY,
FOUNDERS HALL (LOCATED IN DAVIDSON HALL)
For more information contact Sean Howard, s.howard86@gmail.com
CCSU Students, Professors: Student-editor fired for political views NEW BRITAIN – Students and faculty at Central Connecticut State University will hold a news conference on Wednesday, April 15 at 12 noon to challenge the dismissal of a student editor from the campus newspaper for her anti-war activism and membership in a socialist club on campus.
The Recorder’s opinion editor, Marissa Blaszko, was fired on March 10 for what the newspaper’s editor-in-chief cited as her prominence in campus activism and her membership in the Youth for Socialist Action club.
The newspaper’s editorial board decided to uphold the firing a week later, with the approval of their faculty advisor from the journalism department. 34 CCSU professors, 10 student leaders and over 110 students have signed a petition that calls for Marissa’s reinstatement to the newspaper. They argue that an internal policy at The Recorder which prohibits editors from belonging to any political organization has been used to authorize widespread censorship of student views which differ from those of top editors.
Erin McAuliffe, vice-president of PRIDE, a gay rights group on campus, will be among the speakers calling for Marissa’s reinstatement. McAuliffe was denied a promotion to assistant editor after she refused to support a newspaper editorial that attacked the club. “The internal policy is unconstitutional,” said Youth for Socialist Action president, Sean Howard. “It violates the university’s constitution, its affirmative action policy, as well as the policy of the media board which governs student publications.”
Marissa and her supporters are appealing her case to the campus media board, which meets on Friday, April 17. In addition to calling for her reinstatement, they are asking the paper to remove the policy at the root of the discrimination.
“As a student newspaper, The Recorder must serve as an institution accountable and responsive to the wide ranging sentiments of the student body,” Blaszko said. “CCSU is not a corporate news organization but a taxpayer and student funded public institution. We shouldn’t have to swear off our interest in activism, or hide our opposition to a war, to work for our campus newspaper.”
Speakers List
Sean Howard, Student, President of Youth for Socialist Action, Chair
Marissa Blaszko, Student, former Recorder Opinion Editor, Youth for Socialist Action
Tim Craine, Professor of Mathematics
Betsy Kaminsky, Professor of Sociology
Aaron Mcauliffe, Student, Vice President of PRIDE
James “Windeagle “ Irving, Student, President of Wambli Tokoda Native
American Club, Off-Center Magazine
Missy Cordner, Student, President of Pride, Off-Center Magazine
Alex Rodriguez, Student, President of Latin American Student Organization
Wajahat Hassan, Student, Muslim Student Association
Nick Menepez, Student, President of Progressive Student Alliance
Brooke DelGuidice, Student, Progressive Student Alliance
Joe O’Keefe, Student, Veterans Appreciation Organization (Statement)
Dawn McDonald, Student, Women Involved Now (Statement)
Peter Goselin, National Lawyers Guild
