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This is a shared policy of The Claremont Colleges (TCC) which include Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College and the Keck Graduate Institute, in concert with the Claremont University Consortium (CUC). Each of these member institutions respects the rights of free speech and peaceable assembly and supports their exercise on TCC campuses and CUC properties. The Claremont Colleges embrace the principles and purposes of free speech and free assembly including non-violent and respectful demonstrations and protests. Individuals and groups interested in organizing a peaceful demonstration are encouraged to contact the respective college(s) as soon as practical to ensure the proper understanding of and compliance to this policy and any other relevant policies of the involved college(s).
Participation in a demonstration, action, or assembly that is disruptive or non-peaceful or involves the disruption of campus operations on the property of any of The Claremont Colleges or the Claremont University Consortium or any affiliated institutions is prohibited. In such cases where the exercise of free speech and assembly becomes disruptive or non-peaceful the individual college(s) and the CUC will act according to this Policy.
Determination of when a demonstration, action or assembly is non-peaceful or disruptive may be difficult, but The Claremont Colleges individually and collectively subscribe to the general definitions and guidelines listed below.
- Non-peaceful demonstrations, actions, or assemblies are those that (i) endanger or injure, or are likely to endanger or injure, any person, OR (ii) that damage, or are likely to damage, any property.
- Disruptive demonstrations, actions, or assemblies are those that restrict free movement on any of the campuses or interfere with, or significantly impede, access to the operations or activities or facilities of any of The Claremont Colleges or the Claremont University Consortium.
- In accord with existing federal and state laws, no demonstration, action, or assembly shall be approved for, and no participant shall carry in any manner, any weapon or replica of any weapon. Such weapons include firearms, knives, and other objects that are prohibited by law from campus or replicas that have the appearance of such a prohibited weapon.
Examples of demonstrations, assemblies or actions that may be in violation of this Policy include, without limitation, those that involve: fighting or other aggressive behaviors or actions; amplified sound that can be heard inside of classrooms or other TCC or CUC buildings during times of use; unreasonably impeding the ingress and egress of any facility; or the stationary positioning of demonstrators upon any roadway on or adjacent to any of the colleges that blocks passage.
Any officer or designee of an affected college or the CUC, on that person’s home campus, is authorized to address and respond to any individual or group violating this Policy. Any individual acting in a non-peaceful or disruptive manner, whether that individual is acting individually or within a group, may be charged on the basis of the individual’s or group’s behavior with a violation of this Policy. Actions may include arrest, other legal action, or notice of disciplinary charges to be handled through the appropriate disciplinary procedures of the home college or the CUC.
Enforcement
In the event of a non-peaceful or disruptive demonstration, action, or assembly on the property of any of The Claremont Colleges or the Claremont University Consortium, or any of their affiliated offices or programs, the affected college(s) or the CUC will act according to the following procedures:
- The President(s) of the affected college(s) or the Chief Executive Officer of CUC, in the case of CUC property, will determine whether or not direct discussion will take place with those involved in the demonstration, action, or assembly.
- The President(s) or CUC Chief Executive will determine the actions to be taken including, but not limited to, provisional or summary suspension or arrest if individuals or groups do not comply. The President of the affected college may decide summarily to suspend the affected college’s own student, recommend summary suspension of a student from another college, or summarily remove a non-member of the TCC community for
- violating this Policy. Persons not affiliated with any of the colleges will be subject to
- administrative action by the involved college(s) and criminal prosecution, if necessary, to preserve the safety of TCC community members and operations.
- Officials at the other colleges will promptly provide assistance in identifying disruptive or non-peaceful individuals to the college(s) where the disruption occurred or to CUC.
- While officials at affected colleges may temporarily revoke any or all student privileges or take steps to end disruptive or non-peaceful protests, the college at which the student is enrolled, and only that college, may adjudicate complaints and make final decisions about alleged violations of conduct, apart from those decisions made by a court of law. Officials at the home campus agree to acknowledge requests for disciplinary action—including requests for suspension—and take action that is consistent with and allowed by disciplinary procedures at the student’s home campus.
- All individuals who are engaged in a disruptive or non-peaceful demonstration, action,
- or assembly may be notified that they are trespassing. Persons who continue to trespass after notification are subject to arrest by law enforcement officers or Campus Safety Officers (see California Penal Code Section 834).
- Individual colleges and CUC may bill students or file civil suits to recover damages and costs.
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