On February 10, 2010 there was a disruption by students and others of a school sponsored speech by Michael Oren, Israeli Ambassador to the United States.
As a result 11 students were arrested by police.
Subsequent to the event the university suspended the Student Muslim Union due to its involvement in disrupting the school sponsored speech.
In making the suspension recommendation, Lisa Cornish, UC Irvine's director of student housing, found that the Muslim Student Union had "planned, orchestrated and coordinated in advance" an effort to disrupt a speech by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren on Feb. 8 about U.S.-Israeli relations.
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According to the report, the group's goal was to "send the speaker a message" and to develop a "game plan" to disrupt Oren's speech.
The plan included identifying students willing to participate, drafting scripted statements and urging supporters to attend and cheer each disruption. The plan also instructed students to deny that the Muslim Student Union organized the protest, according to the report.
The LA Times is reporting today that the Orange County District Attorney's office has begun a grand jury investigation into the students actions and issued subpoenas which could lead to criminal charges being brought against them.
I thought the disruption of the school sponsored event was inappropriate but do not believe the District Attorney should be using the resources of a grand jury against the students. The school's disciplinary actions are sufficient and should end the case. Criminal charges against the students would be a disproportionate response and would certainly damage their future careers and reputation.
Dr. Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the UC Irvine Law School agrees...
Erwin Chemerinsky...said the issue is not about free speech or expression but about appropriate punishment.
"I don't think the D.A. should press charges, but what the students did wasn't freedom of expression," he said.
"I favor them being punished by the university because what they did was wrong," he said, adding that "university discipline is sufficient."
The grand jury activities in this regard should stop immediately as it is an inappropriate response and a waste of taxpayer dollars.