Daniel J. Flynn

Brandeis University was named in honor of Louis Brandeis more than fifty years ago. Today, a string of abuses against the free speech rights of students is leaving many observers wondering if Justice Brandeis, an ardent champion of free expression, is rolling in his grave over the actions of students and administrators at the institution named for him. A campaign of harassment directed against a conservative student magazine by the school’s student government has resulted in the de-funding and de-chartering of the publication.
Administration and student government officials refused to talk to Campus Report about the move, or about prior thefts of the publication by two senators leading the coalition that successfully de-funded the group.

“If the university thought that censoring Freedom Magazine was wrong, then they would speak out,” contends Bryan Rudnick, chairman of the publication. Rudnick points out that when anti-gay graffiti was found on campus last semester, the school’s administration sent a letter condemning the act and supplied speakers for a pro-gay rally in the wake of the incident.
Some see the school’s silence as tacit approval.

Although two senators—Brian Mills and Matt Sugarman—admitted stealing and destroying large quantities of Freedom Magazine on separate occassions, the school only inquired into the incidents when staff members of the publication complained. Rudnick, however, was brought up on charges by the school when he wrote about the attempts at censorship and published a public apology by one of the student government officials who was caught trashing copies of the paper. The charges against Rudnick were later dropped. After complaining about the treatment his paper received from student government—in addition to the thefts and de-funding, one student senator publicly threatened Rudnick and called his publication “fascist,” “racist,” and even “anti-semitic” (most of the paper’s staffers are Jewish)—Rudnick says that a school official suggested that he, and not his adversaries, seek psychological counseling.

The same senators who were caught stealing copies of Freedom Magazine also led the charge to take away the publication’s funding and recognition status. They claim the move was not motivated by the periodical’s content. The resolution passed on March 28th read: “ At the end of the one year period Freedom Magazine may come before the student union senate and request to be reinstated as a fully chartered club.”

“It’s obvious for anyone to see that those who are taking ‘official’ action against us,” notes Rudnick, “are the same people caught destroying copies Freedom Magazine. Everyone on campus knows they’re trying to censor ideas they don’t like. Brandeis students aren’t stupid.”