Guest Commentary
Nondiscrimination policy must be enforced in fee-funded groups

February 18, 2005
Oregon Daily Emerald

http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/18/4215bd64d6d9d

The ASUO Multicultural Center would like to echo the LGBTQA's request stating that the three branches of the ASUO and the Office of Administration should create and enforce a Code of Conduct for incidental fee funded groups. The code would comply with the University's nondiscrimination policy and the University's mission statement. Currently, there are no mechanisms to enforce compliance or to hold students and student groups accountable for discrimination.

Contrary to the recent claims about the Oregon Commentator, the PFC and Toby Hill-Meyer, the issue is not about free speech or the PFC's "attempt" to suppress it based on content. We believe the Commentator has the right to exist and express its viewpoints, just as any other person, group or publication does.

However, according to the U.S. Supreme Court Southworth decision, since it conducts its business at the University and receives student incidental fees, it should be held accountable to the University's mission statement. The mission states: "... a dedication to the principles of equality of opportunity and freedom from unfair discrimination for all members of the university community ..." In addition, it should be held accountable to the University's nondiscrimination policy, which describes prohibited discrimination as "any act that unreasonably discriminates among individuals on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, martial status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other extraneous considerations not directly and substantively related to performance."

The Commentator is obviously not conforming to the mission statement and the nondiscrimination policy of the University. The MCC is not requesting that the Commentator's budget be terminated, but rather that a mechanism be created to hold student groups accountable for noncompliance of the discrimination policy. Students should feel safe on campus, and any person or group inhibiting that safety should be held accountable. Thus, it should not be the responsibility of the PFC to handle this situation, but rather it is the ASUO and the administration's responsibility to act on this and any future noncompliance.

ASUO Multicultural Center