UC Berkeley battered its authority by cruelly punishing two student protesters with little evidence of illegal behavior and should change its policies before violating the rights of dozens of others facing restraint, the American Civil Liberties Union told Chancellor Robert Birgeneau this week.
The university's attorney did not quarrel most of the ACLU's objections. We take their letter seriously, said Mike Smith, campus counsel. The recommendation they have about the Student Code of Conduct, they agree with some of them.
The university has been cracking down recently on students who participated in any of several campus protests against budget cuts in November and December. The administration has accused at least 63 students for violating the Code of Student Conduct, which the ACLU said should be modified to protect student’s rights in accordance with state law.
In a nine-page letter, the ACLU analyzed the cases of two students junior Zach Bowin and sophomore Angela Miller who were present on Dec.11 when dozens of protesters shattered windows, lamps and planters at Birgeneau's campus residence. They are the only students disciplined so far. As reported in a recent Chronicle story, dozens of others are being offered suspensions of varying lengths in exchange for avoiding the possibility of more cruel punishment.
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