Cops cite preacher for 'offending' student

[rangerrebew]

Cops cite preacher for 'offending' student
'That's our job – to make sure that doesn't happen'
Published: 12 hours ago


An Orwellian nightmare became a reality for an evangelical preacher this week when a cop near the University of Texas at Austin issued him a “disorderly conduct” citation for “offending” a student.

An intern with Campus Ministry USA was confronted by multiple police officers on Tuesday and informed he would be written up for offending a student. Video of the incident soon went viral on YouTube.

“We had somebody that was offended by the gestures you were making,” the officer said. “And that’s our job – to make sure that doesn’t happen, because these are students just walking in this mall right here. So the job here is to write you up as a citation, disorderly conduct, for offending someone.”

The preacher asked how it was against the law to use biological terms like “penis” during a presentation on science-related issues, but rebuffed.

“It doesn’t matter, freedom of speech. Someone was offended – that’s against the law. I don’t want to argue with you. That’s against the law.”

The organization’s leader, Brother Jed Smock, told the Daily Caller on Wednesday that its intern was merely talking about the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases linked with anal sex.

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Ari Cohn, a lawyer with the education watchdog Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, told the website it was “deeply disturbing” to see the video.

“The implications for campus expression are dire,” Cohn said. “If offending someone on campus is now grounds for criminal citations, students wishing to express themselves will much more likely censor themselves, or simply refrain from speaking at all. Such a result is unacceptable, legally and morally, at a state university bound by the First Amendment.”

Campus Ministry USA told the website that a call to the police station from their legal representation resulted in an apology and the withdrawal of the citation.

WND’s Whistleblower magazine shows in “PERSECUTION RISING” how today’s treatment of Christians in many nations is reminiscent of the persecution of the early followers of Christ.

News of the incident also prompted the school’s public information officer, Cynthia Posey, to issue a statement on Friday.

“The University of Texas at Austin Police Department (UTPD) ‘chain of command’ has fully reviewed the incident brought to our attention this morning, and has determined that the disorderly conduct citation issued did not meet the intent and requirements of the law, and as such, the citation has been voided,” the statement read, the Blaze reported. “Our review further showed that the officers in training responded to a call for service in good faith and with respect for all parties involved, including the person(s) wishing to file charges as well those being accused. The department will use this opportunity to remind us all of the importance of safe-guarding all people’s constitutional rights, of which UTPD is fully committed and obligated to defend.”

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2016/02/cops-cites-preacher-for-offending-student/#1AfOXmKYMrd7P3w8.99

[rangerrebew]

I know freedom of speech is in the Constitution but I can't find where the freedom to not be offended is.  Can anyone help on this?

[Right_in_Virginia]

“We had somebody that was offended by the gestures you were making,” the officer said. “And that’s our job – to make sure that doesn’t happen, because these are students just walking in this mall right here. So the job here is to write you up as a citation, disorderly conduct, for offending someone.”

 :wtf!:    Absolutely chilling.  This sh*t has to stop and stop now!

[Charlespg]

 Saw this story while lurking on TOS yesterday
Suing these places is not enough .We need to make the  states strip them of funding and
accreditation

[HonestJohn]

Where did the 'offense' take place?  (That's the key.)

WND obfuscates that with:

An Orwellian nightmare became a reality for an evangelical preacher this week when a cop near the University of Texas at Austin issued him a “disorderly conduct” citation for “offending” a student.

It doesn't say the 'offense' occurred near UT, but only that the cop wrote him the citation near the campus.

I point this out as the key issue because, just like workplaces, the UT campus is private property (owned by the UT)... and the university can set whatever speech code they want.

Of course, we could support a national law overriding that, forcing the owner's of all private property to allow any legal speech (ie: no yelling "FIRE!" in a movie theather).  But then such situations as pro-abortion, anti-Christian speech would be allowed in churches that might be offended by it.

---

The article does finally, 2/3rd's the way through, that:

“The implications for campus expression are dire,” Cohn said. “If offending someone on campus is now grounds for criminal citations, students wishing to express themselves will much more likely censor themselves, or simply refrain from speaking at all. Such a result is unacceptable, legally and morally, at a state university bound by the First Amendment.”

But I have a jaundiced eye toward lawyers, this may or may not be specifically talking about *THIS* event... but may be speaking of the college trend towards restricting speech (in general).