Alleged homophobia at city college of san diego

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by Leo E. Laurence; editor, San Diego News Service; member, S-P-J National Committee on Diversity



San Diego -- 4/26-09 -- Three formal investigations into alleged homophobia at City College of San Diego are currently underway.

A community-college district investigation is looking into a 10-page, sworn complaint filed by a journalism student on March 12th.

A state complaint is also pending before the state's chancellor of the California Community Colleges in Sacramento.

A third investigation is also underway, but the jurisdiction cannot be revealed.

In retaliation for having filed the district and state complaints alleging homophobia and other constitutional violations, the college is hitting the victim (student journaist) hard. It is forcing him into a formal Disciplinary Hearing on Wednesday, April 29th.

Retaliation against a student exercising their civil rights, however, is unlawful.

The college wants to immediately kick the student journalist out, and off any of the other campuses in the distriact, also. But, that raises sifgnificant jurisdictional issues.

Besides the issue of alleged homophboia on campus, the case also raises the issue of open government. The S-P-J has long fought hard for so-called "sunshine laws," whereby our government - and public colleges - operate totally transparently, and open to public scrunity and news coverage. No closed investigations and hearings.

Both the college and the larger district staff are refusing to meet with the student journalist on-the-record.

That raises the additional issue of federal pre-emption, where the federal rights under freedom-of-the-press, override local laws or regulations putting a cloak of confidentiaty on government actions.

Community support for the student journalist is rapidly increasing, especially among straights. Several are expected to attend the disciplinary hearing April 29th at 9 a.m., Room T-216 on the "City" campus.

Additional interest from the local community is emerging among young, gay democrats; including the active Stonewall Young Democrats.

Rarely in recent history has freedom-of-the-press, and discrimination based on homophobia, arisen as a major issues on a college campus in America.

But, it is for a student journalist in San Diego.

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Contact Laurence at (619) 757-4909 or e-mail:

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