Why A CGU Student Should Have Her Lawsuit Dismissed

I followed this case in December of last year. (It is the same case, though there is an error with the website that lists it from 2005.) It seemed fishy at the time but I decided to keep following. Sure enough, it is fishy.

Here are the facts of the case for readers who haven't been following the case since December when I first blogged about it.

Jameelah Medina is a student at CGU and a Muslim. Normally I wouldn't care what Ms. Medina's religious background is, but it is important for the story.

Ms. Medina has sued the county last year, claiming humiliation when she was arrested on suspicion of carrying a fraudulent Metrolink pass on Dec. 7, 2007. At a press conference back in December, she admitted that the press pass was fraudulent.

Now, Ms. Medina is an admitted law breaker who has already wasted enough of the taxpayer's money, but now she wants to sue with her ACLU buddies. She was required to remove her headscarf during that booking.

Medina, a practicing Muslim, alleges the county violated her religious freedom when she was forced to remove her head covering in the presence of men unrelated to her.

She is seeking unlimited damages.

Her suit involves four separate claims, the other three involving violating religious freedom for inmates, the constitutional right to worship and the California Constitution.

Ms. Medina violated the law by using a fraudulent pass, which she admits to doing, and now is using the Koran as her legal basis to challenge her booking. If that weren't bad enough, she's seeking unlimited damages from the State of California.

Well, San Bernandino County attorney Dana Fox thinks that it's rubbish that Medina's clogging up the courts. They might move to dismiss all of Medina's suit.

"We disagree with her claim," Fox said. "We disagree with the allegations in the case."

Ms. Medina should have to pay the County for every dime of taxpayer dollars she wasted on this frivolous lawsuit. Reason Magazine's Walter Olson has written about the system known as Loser Pays where the loser of the lawsuit must pay for trying to shake down an innocent party.

Claremont Institute Fellows: Conservatives Unite for John McCain

As many of you know, I am a loyal Mitt Romney supporter. In every way, shape, and form, he was the conservative candidate for 2008. I pray Romney, like Ronald Reagan, runs again in 2012, as I am convinced that John McCain will be defeated in November.

Nevertheless, I am one of the few people I know who enjoys being wrong. I pray that the Claremont Institute's Seth Leibsohn and William J. Bennett are right -- that John McCain is no liberal -- but I remain unconvinced. He is a liberal, like his role model, Teddy Roosevelt. But in a choice between Roosevelt or Wilson, I will choose the least progressive of the two.

And so, in a choice between two evils, I must always pick the lesser. I must cast my lot with John McCain. Though he has been wrong on immigration, the economy, and the First Amendment, I would be kidding myself if I thought that the other side would be right on these issues.
The war, which I believe was ill-advised, cannot be ignored and must be won.

So it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that Massachusetts, where I hail from, will most certainly go for Clinton or Obama this Fall.

Does anyone know where I can register to vote in California?

On the "Hillary is a Foxy Lesbian" Comment

As Harvey Mudd's alum blasts off into space, Dean of Students Jeanne Noda proves that she's been living on Mars.

Harvey Mudd has no right to threaten its students -- and by proxy, the rest of the Claremont Colleges -- with reporting our white board writings to Campus Safety. As of this writing, we do not know who was involved with the comment that read "Hillary is a foxy lesbian." We do know that the author has poor taste.

I just sent an email to Dean Noda. She informs me that the comment was erased and that the dorm proctor spoke with the students and explained why posting such comments might impact others negatively. Although she says that there is "no disciplinary action" forthcoming, she informs me that "Campus Safety is notified about all such cases in compliance with the Claremont Colleges' "Communications Protocol for Bias-Related Incidents" found on p. 1-45 of the [HMC] student handbook."

Well, it's time to end that policy once and for all. A system where speech is sent to our campus police department is akin to the Stasi. It has no place at school.

From HMC Vice President and Dean of Students, Jeanne Noda

Does anyone know if anybody was punished for this?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Members of the CMC Community,

Per intercampus agreement, I am forwarding this message from Harvey Mudd College’s Vice President and Dean of Students, Jeanne Noda.

Sincerely,

Jeff Huang

--------------------------

Good afternoon.
This morning, the following writing was viewed on the white board of an HMC dorm room - "Hillary is a foxy lesbian". It seems that the student residents wrote this message as part of a joke, without thinking about the impact it might have on others. It refers to a prominent public figure.

The message has been erased. Campus Safety has been notified. But those who might be concerned about this incident are encouraged to stop by and speak with us in the Dean of Students Office, the Office of Institutional Diversity, or with a member of the HMC Multicultural Ally Program (see http://www.hmc.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity1/map1/allynames.html).

Some of the other resources include the Counseling Service, the Office of Black Student Affairs, Chicano Latino Student Affairs and the Queer Resource Center.
Jeanne Noda
HMC Dean of Students

Washington Post's Blog Covers "White Party"

OFF/Beat's Emil Steiner ripped me off!

So the national media in the form of The Washington Post has finally weighed in on the ridiculousness that is Dean Woods' reaction to the "White Party." Granted, they ripped the flyer from my website and didn't give me proper attribution. *starts muttering about the liberal media...* Don't they know that's bad blogging etiquette? For shame... (I'm being only partially serious.)

The Washington Post got a spokesperson for Scripps College on record for saying the following:
"You could see how the poster might be misinterpreted by someone."

No, I really cannot. Maybe an apology won't be forthcoming.

In any event, the party was said to be

"excellent," with more than 1,000 in attendance. Organizers attributed their success to Wood, "who publicized it better than we ever could."

(Take note, Claremont McKenna's PR Department. Looks like we've found someone worth hiring!)

But, here's the best part.

For her misguided attempt at promoting open-mindedness, OFF/beat is proud to award Debra Wood a nomination in OFF/beat's 2008 Idiot of the Year Awards.

Remember to vote early and often!

The comments are hilarious. Here's the one (allegedly) from DJ Timbo.

Hey Yall,

I just want to have a good time and celebrate life through music. I certainly didn't intend to offend anyone. I wasn't even mad when someone drew a mustache on my poster. I have love for people of all races!

Millions of Smiles!

DJ Timbo

Good News Of The (Robert) Day (Gift)

Looks like the gift's still on.

Here's music to my ears:

An investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into stock trading by Claremont McKenna College donor Robert Day will not affect Day's pledged $200million gift to the college, his spokesman said Wednesday.

[Insert happiness here.]

FIRE Video Up Online, Contests To Come

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is the organization that held President David Oxtoby to account for his boorish wavering on the question of student speech this past November after a debate between Marvin Stewart of the Minuteman Project and Jacob Hornberger of Future of Freedom Foundation. I blogged about that silliness back in December and November. The title of one of my favorite blog post is "Free Speech Ought to Be Non-Negotiable."

I wrote then and have always believed that...

We need to constantly remind administrators of our rights as students and consumers, lest they disappear without any debate at all. College administrators must learn that we will hold them account for any restrictions by naming and shaming them.

I'm pleased to announce that they have initiated a video contest to document the state of liberty on our campus. I intend to enter it. Anyone willing to join? I don't much mind if you are liberal, conservative, green, libertarian, or anything else. The only prerequisite is a love of liberty. Oh, and a video camera might help. I am already starting on a script.

And yes, I did contact them on the thuggish display by Scripps Dean of Students Deb Woods. They decided that it does not fall into their array of issues because punishment has not taken place. Well, thank goodness for that!