Yeshiva Administrators Silence Student Publications

According to senior security officials at Stern College for Women, Jeffery Socol, Director of Facilities Management, instructed his staff to remove copies of The Commentator and The Observer from distribution centers located throughout the Midtown Campus. The removal of the papers coincides with Stern College's Open House for potential admissions candidates.

Students at Stern witnessed members of the Facilities staff removing both student newspapers and newsstands early Wednesday morning. The papers, which cost one dollar per copy, are displayed in the lobbies of most University buildings. Aside from the Uptown Campus, The Commentator is displayed in the lobbies of the Brookdale and Schottenstein Residence Halls, as well as in the Stern College and Cardozo School of Law academic centers. Disposal of the newspapers results in a significant monetary loss to the newspaper boards.

The newspaper removals are part of a pattern of constraint that has emerged throughout this academic year. Copies of The Commentator were removed from Belfer Hall last Sunday, November 14, during the Uptown Open House. They were also removed on Wednesday October 27, when renowned religious leader Jesse Jackson spoke at the Uptown campus. Until recently, the office of Alumni Affairs mailed copies of the student publications to alumni, but at the directive of high level University administrators this process ceased during the summer.

Legally, the constitutional rights of free press only apply in public buildings. Yeshiva therefore has the legal right to restrict what is displayed in its lobbies. As reported in the last issue of The Commentator, Yeshiva chose not exercise this right when highly offensive and controversial material was displayed in the Cardozo building lobby. "Rabbi Lamm saw offensive artwork (in the Cardozo lobby), yet it was still displayed. The newspapers provide a valuable service to the community and they get removed, some form of logic is absent from that equation," commented one puzzled Cardozo official.

Michael Kranzler, Director of Admissions and coordinator of the Open House, said, "I'm not exactly sure what their specific reasons were for removing the papers. With me, it's a non-issue."

Another high level administrator informed the Commentator that "they've been doing this for years. I believe it began when there were articles published about the closing of the Bernard Revel graduate school. Then came the 'gay issue.' It's not surprising that they did it this time either."

When pressed, a member of the Facilities staff insisted that the papers would be replaced at six O'clock Sunday evening after parents and prospective students vacated the campus. The papers have not been replaced.

Facilities actions would imply that the papers, the sole voices of the undergraduate student body, were removed to ensure that participants in the Open House were not exposed to any material of which the administration did not approve.

"I think that is silly and counterproductive," remarked Judith Miner, a parent who visited the Uptown Campus last week and was informed of the newspaper removal. "I read The Commentator and was very impressed with the writing and content."

"I think it is a shame that the administration felt threatened enough to attempt to silence student papers," remarked Benjamin Fink, a parent at Sunday's downtown open house who was informed of the newspaper removal.

Many times, Commentator staff watched as Facilities officials removed countless copies of the newspaper from display centers only to see them turn up outside Jeffery Socol's office. Facilities claims that this was necessary for "safety and aesthetic reasons."

Related Links:

• New York Times: Yeshiva Students Say the University Is Behind Removal of Campus Paper
• The Jewish Week: Who's Been Stealing the YU Newspapers?
• US News and World Report: 1999 Sheldon Award