MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release September 10, 2014 Contact Mike Ludwig,
[email protected] or call 262.366.8919 for more
information.
COURT BLOCKS UWM FROM DISENROLLING STUDENT LEADER
An order signed Tuesday by a Milwaukee County Circuit Court
Judge enjoins the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from
sanctioning a student rights activist for activities that a
university committee determined in August were in violation of
campus rules.
The UWM Nonacademic Misconduct Hearing Committee determined on
August 18 that student Mohammad Samir Siddique distributed copies
of a petition and constitution for a new student government, helped
organize its elections, and contacted the Regents on its behalf.
Siddique was elected president of the group, the UWM Student
Association, which is suing to be recognized as the legitimate
student government. The similarly named Student Association at UWM
is currently recognized by the administration. The university
claims that some of the statements made by Siddique were false,
caused confusion, or violated unspecified branding rules.
The universitys decision would have forced Siddique to
immediately stop all communications, representation, and other
related activity regarding representation and association with the
group identifying itself as student association at UWM and to write
a letter to over a thousand students who signed the petition he
circulated, stating that the student government he champions does
not have the right to make recommendation concerning segregated
fees, recommending student appointments to university committees,
and full representation of the student body. If Siddique did not
comply, the university would prohibit him from enrolling or
receiving records, effectively expelling him and blocking his
further education elsewhere.
On Friday, August 29, Siddique moved to block the sanctions on
the grounds that they punished him for no more than expressing
opinions different from the universitys official positions, and
would have imposed unconstitutional limits on his free speech and
association. Judge Glenn A. Yamahiro agreed to sign an order
prepared within five business days, blocking the university from
implementing the sanctions against Siddique. The order also enjoins
Siddique from speaking out. Yamahiro stated that the matter was too
complex to have been resolved before the sanctions against Siddique
would have taken effect. It will be more fully heard this
month.
Siddique, speaking through his attorney, Gary Grass, said the
heavy-handed sanction was a sign of weakness on the part of his
opponents. UWM has tremendous resources, in terms of money, staff
and power if it wants to convince students that the puppet student
government it assembled is legitimate. The fact that they try to
squelch independent organizing and gag the opposing speech of
genuine student leaders means they know they cant win an evenhanded
debate on the issues.
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