Of course. The good news is that the FIRE has taken notice.

Sarah McLaughlin reported at the FIRE blog.

We’re Not Buying Hagerstown Community College’s Excuses for Denying Student Group’s Recognition

Moriah DeMartino, a student at Hagerstown Community College (HCC) in Maryland, attempted to start a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter at her campus last month. Instead of granting recognition to the nonpartisan, free-market advocacy student group, HCC used DeMartino’s request as an opportunity to crack down not only on attempts to form a TPUSA chapter but on all attempts to form politically-motivated student groups.

On August 17, DeMartino contacted HCC Student Activities Coordinator Heather B. Barnhart to ask if she’d spoken to Dean of Student Affairs Jessica Chambers about DeMartino’s interest in starting a TPUSA chapter. (Approval from both Chambers and Barnhart is required for prospective groups.)

Barnhart replied to DeMartino, rejecting the group’s eligibility for recognition and explaining that HCC would only allow Republican or Democratic clubs to form, and then only if they were founded simultaneously:

You and I can talk about the club tomorrow, but the highpoints are:

a. We can start a Republican Club, but not a Turning Point USA Club, though club members can belong to that national organization.

b. We can start a Republican Club as long as we also start a Democrat Club at the same time

This is not how freedom of association works.


 
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