CORNELL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING STAFF STIFLE FREEDOM

Hat Tip to Tristen and to Leslie for the pic

Facilities Staff Remove
Previously Approved
Pro-Life Display

Less than one hour after the Cornell Coalition for Life (CCFL) set up their "Elena Campaign" signs in the Engineering Quad, the signs were abruptly removed by Dawn Warren, an administrative assistant, and taken to the Facilities Office of the College of Engineering.
The "Elena Campaign" is a series of light-hearted educational signs with pictures and text detailing the biological development of an unborn child. Though CCFL had gone through the proper administrative avenues to get approval for the display, Warren removed the signs without permission because she did not personally approve of the content.
Tristen Cramer, senior at Cornell University and former president of CCFL stated, "It borders on the absurd that the facilities staff at the College of Engineering finds photos depicting biological fetal development to be controversial or offensive.

Furthermore, it speaks volumes that this member of the Cornell staff chose to censor speech she disagreed with rather than facilitating an open discussion about the issue."
Together, Dawn Warren and Cathy Dove, Associate Dean for Administration in the College of Engineering, attempted to prevent members of CCFL from retrieving the signs.

Only when the Cornell Police were brought in did Warren and Dove relinquish the property. Even then, Dove tried to intimidate the students and requested that the signs not be put up again, referencing an "unwritten policy" among the College of Engineering to prevent "opinionated displays."
Katherine Weible, junior at Cornell University and current president of the CCFL said, "As an engineering student, I am surprised and disappointed that some of our staff would censor the issues that we are exposed to. In their claims that all engineering displays must be engineering related, they are severely short-changing all engineering students."
"The Cornell community should be aware that our right to free speech regarding relevant current issues is hindered by this so-called 'unwritten policy,'" said Cramer.