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A Letter to the editor
April 02, 2005 - 12:03:06 AM PST
No right to suspend fraternity
The university violated the laws of the land when they suspended the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity for filming an X-rated film in their private residence. The individual members of the fraternity have the right to form their own association. The university cannot pick and chose which associations to recognize and allow use of state facilities. This clearly is the law of the country the right of association. The U.S. Supreme court in Healy vs. James clearly defined this.
The court in this case sets out circumstances where this right of association may be interrupted. The university must find the fraternity guilty of violating a published valid campus rule (law). Further the university must provide due process.
Citizens of this country have the right of privacy. What valid campus rule did these citizens violate in the privacy of their own home? The state of California needs to get out of the bedrooms of these citizens.
In this case the university has violated the law. They have interfered with the fraternity members' right of association. The president of the university or any member of the university has the right and perhaps the obligation to comment but not the legal right to take any other action.
President Paul Zingg should immediately lift the suspension of the fraternity and apologize to its members and the community for his actions.
Charles W. Preusser, Chico
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