Support is mounting for members of The September 29th Movement charged with misconduct violations for participating in an unauthorized Nov. 5 rally.

About 75 Iowa State faculty members, staff, students and members of the Ames community attended a news conference held at noon on Monday in the Oak Room of the Memorial Union. Speakers denounced an Office of Judicial Affairs decision to give two of the students conduct probation.

Conduct probation prohibits students from holding leadership roles in university-sponsored organizations.

Four English faculty members organized a faculty and staff petition to “demonstrate our extreme discomfort at this harsh sanction against mature, heartfelt expression of ideas on this campus.” The petition, which now has 185 signatures, began after Thursday’s verdicts were announced. Eight students were tried on Thursday; six await an OJA verdict.

“Justice has come down unevenly in this case, and not according to prior verbal guarantees from administrators that the most serious punishment they could expect would be letters of reprimand,” said Deb Marquart, an assistant professor of English and one of the petition organizers.

Another petition organizer agreed that the punishment was harsher than what the students had been told.

“When I talked to [Dean of Students Kathleen] MacKay … I was instructed more than once to assure the students who were involved that there would be no serious consequences,” said Stephen Pett, an associate professor of English.

Pett said he contacted MacKay last week and asked her if she thought he had been misled. “She told me she assured me of those consequences because she was unaware that the students would have an attorney,” Pett said.

NAACP pledges support

George Jackson, president of the Ames branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the NAACP remains in support of the Movement.

“If it is proven that this latest action has either violated the students’ human or civil rights, I was given the authority by the Iowa and Nebraska NAACP branches to take whatever actions are possible to right these injustices,” Jackson said.

Jackson said the university’s decision to penalize the students for “speaking out” may prove to be a civil rights violation.

“We will do this with the guidance of the national branch,” Jackson said. “All branches in Iowa and Nebraska sent me here today to tell you in no uncertain terms that they are joining you in your pursuit.”

Students vent

Lisa Hermsen, co-founder of The Second Wave, a student group organized last week to defend First Amendment rights, was also critical the OJA rulings.

“We would like to sit down with the administration and find out where the judicial process of Iowa State stands with our Constitutional rights,” Hermsen said.

The Second Wave, nearly 50 members strong, is also circulating a petition in protest of the OJA rulings.

Theresa Thomas, one of the four students awaiting an OJA’s decision, said she has been treated unjustly by the judicial system.

“I was not a leader [of The Movement]. I was not even a member of The Movement during the protest,” Thomas said. “The sanctions against me are unjust, unfair and unprofessional.”

Thomas is a sophomore in graphic design and president of the Asian-American Pacific Awareness Coalition.

“What I want is a written reprimand,” Thomas said. “That is what I expected and that is what I want them to deliver to me.”

Administrator speaks up

Terri Houston, assistant dean of students, said she could no longer keep silent. Houston was highly critical of the administration.

She said there are many questions surrounding ISU’s judicial procedure and as a member of the ISU faculty, she said it was her duty to ensure that justice is served.

“We have to stand for truth. We will stand for justice,” Houston said. “I refuse to keep silent. Whatever we can do for the students to help, we will.”

Houston said she was speaking as a member of the black faculty and staff and as an ISU administrator.

John Anderson, interim director of University Relations, said the university administration, except for the Dean of Student’s Office, has nothing to do with the judicial decisions.

“If the students appeal [the OJA decision] to the AUJ and disagree with that decision, then the case would go to President Jischke,” Anderson said.

But for the time being, Jischke has no say in the decisions made by the OJA or the All-University Judiciary, Anderson said.

As far as the faculty’s support of the students, Anderson said the administration is in favor of freedom of expression.

“We’re fully supportive of everyone’s right to express their opinion on this subject,” Anderson said. “I think the press conference today is strong evidence that there is no attempt to gag or muzzle the students.

“If anything, in reality, the opposite has been in effect,” he said. “The students are getting much more attention.”