Student journalists say MSSU enrollment director’s action violation of rights w/ link to Chart's story

By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

Student journalists with Missouri Southern State University’s campus newspaper said they believe their First Amendment rights were violated when an administrator barred the paper from being displayed and distributed at an enrollment event Wednesday.

Alexandra Nicolas, editor in chief of The Chart, said a communication department faculty member was asked by Derek Skaggs, director of enrollment services, not to distribute copies of the Oct. 3 issue of The Chart because it carried a front-page story that noted MSSU had marked a decline in enrollment for the fall semester.

“It was a recruiting event, and he didn’t feel like a story about a drop in enrollment was appropriate,” Nicolas told the Globe on Thursday.

The university was the host of a regional college fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Representatives of area colleges, universities, and trade and technical schools met with students from area high schools.

“Our biggest issue with it right now is we’re concerned it sets a dangerous precedent, just letting it lie,” Nicolas said. “We feel that leaving this be and ignoring it puts us on a dangerous slippery slope.”

Attempts to reach Skaggs at his office and at home were unsuccessful Thursday. Skaggs was quoted several times in the enrollment article.

Jean Maneke, a lawyer with the Missouri Press Association, said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that case law suggests that Missouri courts view college newspapers as having First Amendment rights.

She said that based on her research, she believes that any attempt to limit distribution of a college newspaper would be a violation of First Amendment rights.

MSSU President Bruce Speck said he had received calls from Nicolas and from Chart adviser T.R. Hanrahan, and that the university would investigate the matter.

“Ultimately, I think we’ll probably have a meeting where we talk with Derek and the students, and try to work through it,” he said.

Hanrahan, who advises the students on libel issues but does not have control of the paper’s editorial content, said he believes the story was topical and timely.

“The news story in question was pretty boilerplate,” he said. “It mirrored the information in the university’s own press release and in other newspapers. We didn’t think it was anything unusual.

“The story was fair and accurate, and we stand by it. It reflected the truth.”