Defend Free Speech at Austin College
Steven O’Day, President of Austin College, and Dr. Carllos Lassiter, The Vice President for Student Affairs and Community Engagement
Austin College is a university that teaches students the importance of a having a breadth of knowledge, using critical thinkings skills, and using our education and voices to make the world around us a better place. In the Austin College 2024-2025 Bulletin, the Political Science mission statement asserts “the department places heavy emphasis on student mastery of theoretical and methodological foundations, critical thinking skills, and effective writing and speaking skills” (235). Additionally, a requirement of English majors at this university is to take a Post Colonial or World Literature class. In the handbook the description of Studies in Postcolonial Literatures is described as “A variety of courses focused on colonial, neo-colonial, and post-colonial writing, especially as it intersects with imperialism, oppression, politics, nationalism, Westernization, and globalization” (168). The curriculum at this school emphasizes the importance of utilizing critical thinking skills, relying on the knowledge we have gained of systems of power and oppression through our courses, and exercising our free speech to make a difference in our communities and society at large.
Austin College is also proudly affiliated with Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). PCUSA has published a statement saying that they “reject the ideology and theology of Christian Zionism” additionally stating that they are committed to divesting from “U.S. companies supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestine” as well as “Israeli government bonds” (pcusa.org). The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) has taken a clear stance on the matter saying, “it is a clear case of settler colonialism. This situation has been recognized as a violation of international law, as well as the defining of Israel as an apartheid state.” Austin College should be in alignment with these statements to respect our affiliation to the Presbyterian Church. It is also crucial to make a clear distinction between anti-Zionism and Antisemitism as the conflation of these is a fundamental misunderstanding of the occupation of Palestine by Israel. Decolonizing Palestine, a source dedicated to educating about Palestine and its history writes about the myth that anti-Zionism is Antisemitism stating, “There is no doubt that Antisemitism has been an incredibly destructive force throughout history, and that the Jewish people have been persecuted and put through pogrom after pogrom, as well as endured attempts at systematic annihilation. This is what makes it more tragic when we see that sometimes this very real history of persecution can be cynically weaponized to legitimize or deny the reality which Palestinians suffer under” (decolonizepalestine.com). As of 2023, The Lemkin Institute, chartered by Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish man who coined the term genocide, asserted that the Israeli attack on Gaza is a genocide (lemkininstitute.com). We are witnessing the most well-documented genocide in history with people being brutally murdered, the use of sexual violence, the blocking of humanitarian aid causing disease, starvation, and death including attacks on hospitals, the use of chemical warfare, all a clear violation of international law (Gaza Healthcare Letter to Biden). As a collective we do not support statements or actions of Antisemitism or Zionism. Additionally, we believe free speech and activism is crucial to our campus's integrity because it is built into the values and practices of Austin College.
On March 21st, 2025, there was a chalk event on the Austin College campus where both the AC Democrats club and Young Republicans club drew chalk art addressing various political and human rights issues. At this event one phrase that was written by then president of the AC Democrats club Brenna Light, “from the river to the sea” was specifically targeted as offensive and was reported to Dr. Carllos Lassiter. Dr. Lassiter went on to carry out a humiliation ritual against Brenna Light, using an inappropriate tone and his position of power to intimidate and scare a student. With no due process, Dr. Lassiter threatened Brenna Light with disciplinary action if she did not agree to: 1. Step down as president from AC democrats, the group that she founded and chartered; 2. Not hold any executive positions in the club going forward; 3. Release a public statement on instagram where he instructed her on what to say. This incident is a blatant infringement on free speech and cannot be separated from the larger picture we are seeing across The United States. Individuals are currently being severely punished for using their voices and platforms in support of Palestine, for speaking out against genocide, and it is alarming to see Austin College take action against a student in this way for exercising free speech at a campus event where there were many other statements made about political and human rights issues. What precedent are we setting at Austin College during a time of political uncertainty where our constitutional rights are being threatened at a national level?
As a collective, we demand the following:
A. An official statement of apology from Dr. Carllos Lassiter to Brenna Light, as well as the student body, for his disproportionate reaction based on the situation at hand towards Brenna Light.
B. An acknowledgement of the harm caused to Brenna Light as well as the student body by not adhering to the department mission statements provided in the handbook, or the standings of the Presbyterian Church of The United States that our college is deeply and historically affiliated with.
C. Brenna to be reinstated as president of AC Democrats and able to run for any executive positions moving forward.
D. A commitment from Austin College to uphold the mission statements written in the 2024-2025 Bulletin that they “affirm the importance of…a climate of civility and respect that encourages free inquiry and the open expression of ideas; and a non-sectarian education that fosters the exploration and development of values through an awareness of the world's religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions” (2).
Full Demands Letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QPSU4zb93P8bOjttlAbjMlMuQKHK7rRc/view?usp=drivesdk
Public Toolkit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BGNw-ugrR_vpamnTGL_peMZFZG5FsIh0/view?usp=drivesdk
Sources:
https://pcusa.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/0619-WM-Dublin%20CZ%20resource.pdf
https://decolonizepalestine.com/myth/antizionism-is-antisemitism/
https://www.sadaka.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Letter.pdf
Petition by
To:
Steven O’Day, President of Austin College, and Dr. Carllos Lassiter, The Vice President for Student Affairs and Community Engagement
From:
[Your Name]
I write to you as community member deeply concerned about the recent incident
concerning free speech at Austin College and the inappropriate punishment of the student, Brenna Light, that followed. This incident is a blatant infringement on free speech and cannot be separated from the larger picture we are seeing across The United States. Individuals are currently being severely punished for using their voices and platforms in support of Palestine, for speaking out against genocide, and it is alarming to see Austin College take action against a student in this way for exercising their free speech. I am calling on Austin College to repair this disappointing behavior by adhering to the following demands:
A. An official statement of apology from Dr. Carllos Lassiter to Brenna Light, as well as the student body, for his disproportionate reaction based on the situation at hand towards Brenna Light.
B. An acknowledgement of the harm caused to Brenna Light as well as the student body by not adhering to the department mission statements provided in the handbook, or the standings of the Presbyterian Church of The United States that our college is deeply and historically affiliated with.
C. Brenna to be reinstated as president of AC Democrats and able to run for any executive positions moving forward.
D. A commitment from Austin College to uphold the mission statements written in the 2024-2025 Bulletin that they “affirm the importance of…a climate of civility and respect that encourages free inquiry and the open expression of ideas; and a non-sectarian education that fosters the exploration and development of values through an awareness of the world's religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions” (2).
I am speaking as a concerned citizen who stands for the importance of free speech and students right to exercise that safely and without the unjust repercussions that took place. I stand with the Austin College student body, faculty, staff, and greater community who are concerned and we
will continue to stand until these demands are acknowledged and met by the college in order to prevent this alarming infringement on free speech carried out in an excessive, intolerable manner to ever take place again or go unchecked.