Censorship Battle in 2001

It started in 2001, when we printed an issue criticizing the chair of our student affirmative action committee, humorously abbreviated SAAC. The chair had previously had issues with some of our content and spouted off about The Koala on the local San Diego news channel. I proceeded to attend a public meeting of a student group, MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) and photograph the chair. The Koala then ran the photographs along with a letter from the chair making fun of his grammar in Fall 2001 Issue 2 (pdf).

His grammar was amusingly terrible. A few months later, I was hauled in front of my dean, and brought up on formal charges. I was charged under a strange rule that forbids one to “disrupt University activities” despite the fact that the photography was done surreptitiously. I ended up doing 40 hours of community service and remaining on probation for the rest of my undergraduate studies because I wasn’t about to chance my degree on the student “kangaroo” court.

The Koala also was brought up on University charges, and threatened with dissolution. We went to student court, and won a series of rulings allowing local media to cover the proceedings. The University objected to these rulings, and then refused to present its case when the rulings did not go in its favor. We were found not guilty, but the University nullified the hearing, and setup a second trial. At this point we did some fundraising by donating blood plasma, and hired a real lawyer. We tried of an injunction against the second trial, but the University of California hired one of the most expensive law firms in town, and crushed our shyster of a lawyer.

During the second trial, the University played dirty, and instead of presenting witnesses against us, relied solely on written testimony, and not allowing us to cross-examine any of their witnesses. Thankfully despite being selected and trained by the University to convict, the student jury saw through the ruse. The chair of the student jury ended up quitting over the matter.

The University's bias is evident in a series of emails obtained by The UCSD Guardian.

Guardian Articles:

Koala Accused (Local Copy)
TMCSC condemns The Koala
SAAC concerned about Koala material
SAAC chair alleges 'Koala' harassment
University taking Koala to J-Board
Koala hearing goes on despite walkout
Administration retries Koala
Charges against the Koala are dropped

Links from FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education):

Student Humor Magazine Prosecuted for Parody at UCSD: University Decision Expected This Week
Victory at UCSD, but Deception Remains; Administration Drops Case Against The Koala
FIRE's Analysis of The UCSD Statement (In Full) Regarding the Koala/Judicial Board Hearing

Other links:

California University Abets Mexican Who Threatened Magazine (NewsMax)
UCSD Statement Regarding The Koala/Judicial Board Hearing (UCSD Press Release).
Excerpts From Letters to the Chancellor (See the Bottom of the Page)
Calif. university drops disciplinary charges against underground humor publication (SPLC)