UCI’s pathetic attempt to backtrack on punishing College Republicans for Milo event

A June 21 statement from the university gave its perspective:

UCI Senior Director of Media Relations Cathy Lawhon admitted to Campus Reform that initial emails were “poorly worded” and that the suspension only applies to the group’s ability to reserve space on campus.

They can “sponsor speakers in space that is not booked through Student Center and Event Services, they can pass out pamphlets and raise money on the Ring Mall (a designated area on campus for tabling) with other clubs, [and] they can elect officers,” she said.

According to Lawhon, the “only club privilege they don’t have now is booking space through Student Center and Event Services,” though it’s not hard to see why Breitbart would report the College Republicans could not “function as a club on campus in any capacity.”

As Campus Reform pointed out, “prior emails sent to CR members had explicitly used the word ‘suspended,’” including an email provided to Red Alert Politics. “Failure to comply with these warnings results in immediate suspension of the group for the remainder of the current quarter (Spring 2016) and the following three quarters,” it read.

A club member who wished to remain anonymous told Red Alert Politics they “haven’t been suspended as an organization, but are being prevented from holding meetings and events on campus as the result of no longer being allowed to reserve rooms.”

The member said the club would fight the charge.

The group has support from the College Republicans National Committee in gaining attention for their Change.org petition, which surpassed its initial goal of 1,000 supporters after two days and is close to 1,500 supporters.

As Breitbart reported, support comes from some unlikely places, including Anteaters for Bernie Sanders, a club at UCI.