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Community College of Allegheny County: Student Denied Right to Start Advocacy Organization

A student who wanted to form a gun-rights group at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) was threatened with disciplinary action for her efforts. Administrators banned informational pamphlets, ordered all copies of them destroyed, and decreed that further "academic misconduct" would not be tolerated. FIRE came to the student's aid and went public with the incident. CCAC proffered post hoc rationalizations, stating that in order to avoid punishment the student must obtain the school's imprimatur before distributing her message, subjecting her pamphlets to unconstitutional prior restraint. This case remains unresolved and FIRE is continuing in its fight against CCAC.

Case Materials

• "Victory for First Amendment: Pittsburgh-Area College Allows Student to Advocate for Concealed Carry on Campus, Abandons Repressive Policy," October 2, 2009: After months of national media attention, a student threatened with punishment for attempting to form a gun-rights group at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is finally allowed to distribute pamphlets about the group on campus. The college has also rescinded its unconstitutional policy demanding "prior written approval" for "personal contact with individuals or groups related to non-sponsored college material or events." After Christine Brashier, who wanted to form a chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), was told that her pamphlets were unacceptable "solicitation" and that any further efforts would be considered "academic misconduct," she turned to FIRE for help.
• "CCAC New Solicitation Policy," September 21, 2009
• "Pittsburgh-Area College Fails to Remedy Violations of Concealed Carry Advocate’s Free Speech," June 2, 2009: A student who wants to form a gun-rights group will still be subject to unconstitutional censorship, the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) announced yesterday. Christine Brashier, who wants to form a chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), was told through a letter to FIRE yesterday that she will not be punished for her efforts to organize the group, as college officials had threatened in an earlier meeting, but only if she follows CCAC's unconstitutional policies. She must have all of her pamphlets approved before distribution and will not be allowed to use the name of CCAC in any way during her effort to start a group at the college.
• "Response from CCAC Solicitor Mike Adams to FIRE," June 1, 2009
• "First Amendment Rights Trampled by Pittsburgh College after Student Advocates for Concealed Carry of Firearms on Campus," May 27, 2009: A student who wants to form a gun-rights group at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) has been threatened with disciplinary action for her efforts. Student Christine Brashier has turned to FIRE for help after reporting that administrators banned her informational pamphlets, ordered her to destroy all copies of them, and told her that further "academic misconduct" would not be tolerated.
• "Letter to FIRE from Randolph Gaab," May 13, 2009
• "FIRE Letter to Community College of Allegheny County President Alex Johnson," April 29, 2009
• "Christine Brashier's follow-up e-mail to Deans Burns & Snider," April 24, 2009
• "SCCC Pamphlet for Community College of Allegheny County," April 10, 2009
• "CCAC Solicitation Policy," July 17, 2001

Blog Entries

• "CCAC Finally Approves Student Concealed Carry Advocacy Group," by Robert Shibley, February 17, 2010: Yesterday afternoon, the student government of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) finally approved a chapter of the national concealed firearms advocacy group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC). The approval ends a saga that began last April when CCAC administrators told student Christine Brashier that such a group would never be allowed on campus and threatened her with disciplinary action for her attempts to inform her fellow students about the cause. Brashier turned to FIRE for help, and after we procured for her the assistance of a FIRE Legal Network attorney, CCAC agreed to approve her group on a viewpoint neutral basis. By approving the group yesterday, CCAC has fulfilled this agreement. FIRE will continue to ensure that the group is treated fairly.
• "CCAC First Amendment Scandal Earns a Critical Editorial," , June 23, 2009
• "FIRE’s VP to Discuss Concealed Carry Case on Radio Today and Tonight," by Erin Osovets, June 9, 2009
• "Rights in the News: Media Keeps Pressure on CCAC," by Peter Bonilla, June 5, 2009
• "Media Interest in FIRE’s Gun-related Speech on Campus Case Still Growing," , June 4, 2009
• "Pittsburgh-Area College Fails to Remedy Violations of Concealed Carry Advocate’s Free Speech ," by Adam Kissel, June 2, 2009
• "Rights in the News: Media Campaign Ignites Firestorm in Allegheny County," by Peter Bonilla, May 29, 2009
• "As Press Coverage Mounts, CCAC Officials Apologize for Delay," , May 29, 2009
• "Allegheny County Free Speech Case Hits Associated Press, NRA News," , May 28, 2009
• "First Amendment Rights Trampled in Pittsburgh after Student Advocates for Concealed Carry of Firearms on Campus," by Adam Kissel, May 27, 2009

Media Coverage

• "Western Pa. school OKs concealed weapons group,"
  by Associated Press, Associated Press, February 17, 2010
• "Attacking the First and Second Amendments at the same time,"
  by Kurt Hofmann, Examiner.com, New York, October 13, 2009
• "College backtracks on gun-club ban,"
  by Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily, October 13, 2009
• "Pittsburgh-area college allows student to advocate for concealed carry on campus,"
  by Ana Kasparian, Examiner.com, October 5, 2009
• "CCAC allows handouts without prior review,"
  by Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 2, 2009
• "Discussing guns dubbed 'academic misconduct',"
  by Vin Suprynowicz, Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 7, 2009
• "Some colleges bar even talking about right to bear arms, gun advocates say,"
  by Kelley Vlahos, FOXNews.com, June 4, 2009
• "School orders student not to promote gun club,"
  by Staff Editorial, WorldNetDaily, June 2, 2009
• "Community College of Allegheny County defends policy to free-speech group,"
  by Ryan Pfister, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 2, 2009
• "College says it acted properly with student gun advocate,"
  by Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 1, 2009
• "Brashier feeds FIRE,"
  by Levi MtJoy, North Campus Voice, May 31, 2009
• "Holding Fire,"
  by Kate Maternowski, Inside Higher Ed, May 29, 2009
• "EDITORIAL: Speech police,"
  by Staff Editorial, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 29, 2009
• "CCAC apologizes for delay in answering gun-rights-group issue,"
  by Mike Cronin, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 29, 2009
• "Gun supporters say colleges trample protest rights,"
  by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press, May 28, 2009
• "CCAC student claims dean blocked gun-rights group,"
  , WTAE ABC Pittsburgh, May 28, 2009
• "Student: Pittsburgh-area college disregards rights,"
  by Associated Press, Associated Press, May 28, 2009
• "CCAC student claims school's dean blocked gun-rights group,"
  by Mike Cronin, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 28, 2009
• "Student says CCAC is trying to thwart gun advocacy group,"
  by Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 28, 2009
• "Student claims CCAC stifled conceal-carry advocacy on campus ,"
  by Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 27, 2009