Students detained and questioned for protesting Koch speaker
Two Utah State University students say their First Amendment rights were violated after they were detained and questioned by police in Huntsman Hall this morning.
Diego Mendiola displayed a banner denouncing perceived Koch influence after a leadership forum with Sheryl Corrigan, the director of environment, health and safety for Koch Industries.
Diego Mendiola and Yale Benson from the Democratic Socialists of America club were released after questioning. Mendiola says officers said his protest didn’t fit under free speech, but was a “disruption of a public event” pic.twitter.com/YMSc3CXhnr
— Utah Statesman 📰 (@UtahStatesman) March 22, 2019
Mendiola said he displayed the banner after the moderator, Frank Caliendo, announced the forum was concluded.
Associate Dean of the Huntsman School, Dave Patel, said this forum was about leadership and business practices, not politics and philanthropy.
“This venue was an entirely different thing from the politics or the political involvement of Mr. Koch,” Patel said.
Law enforcement at USU argues the students were being disruptive during a meeting that had not yet ended.
“They said because it was a public event, I have to call them next time,” Mendiola said. “They claimed the meeting wasn’t yet over so I had disrupted.”
Mendiola said he originally came to ask a question of Corrigan about Koch Industries’ environmental impact, but the open forum only lasted for one question, asked by a student Corrigan already knew.
Carter Moore Police said the students weren’t questioned for exercising their free speech, but rather for disrupting a meeting.
“Right now I am trying to talk with my officers about what transpired and what exactly is going on,” said Capt. Kent Harris with the USU police. “From my understanding, it happened as the event was ending.”
This is a developing story that will be updated.
—carter.moore@aggiemail.usu.edu
@carterthegrreat