Gainesville State College: President Censors Faculty Art Critical of Confederate Heritage
Gainesville State College (GSC) unconstitutionally censored a painting critical of Confederate heritage by removing it from a faculty art exhibition. Art instructor and artist Stanley Bermudez' painting "Heritage?" features images of a lynching and of a torch-wielding member of the Ku Klux Klan superimposed onto a Confederate flag. Two weeks into the exhibition, when critics of the painting contacted GSC President Martha T. Nesbitt, she removed it, claiming that "I have to consider the impact of an action on the health and reputation of the institution. In this instance, I made a judgment call that the negative results would outweigh the positive ones." FIRE has asked President Nesbitt to announce to GSC's students and faculty that their protected expression will never again be subject to censorship.
- "FIRE Letter to USG Chancellor Henry M. Huckaby, July 12, 2011," July 12, 2011
- "FIRE Letter to University System of Georgia, April 22, 2011," April 22, 2011
- "Gainesville State College Censors Faculty Artwork Critical of Confederate Past," April 14, 2011: Gainesville State College (GSC) in Georgia is defending its censorship of a faculty member's painting involving the Confederate flag. FIRE has come to the defense of art instructor Stanley Bermudez, whose painting portraying the Confederate flag in a critical context was removed by administrators from a faculty art exhibition.
- "FIRE Second Letter to Gainesville State College President Martha T. Nesbitt, April 13, 2011," April 13, 2011
- "Letter to Gainesville State College President Martha T. Nesbitt, March 7, 2011," March 7, 2011
- "Gainesville State College President's Statements, February 4, 2011," February 4, 2011
- "'Southern Heritage Alerts' Blog Entry, January 25, 2011," January 25, 2011
- "Stanley Bermudez's Rebel Flag Statement," January 10, 2011
Case Materials
- "New Chancellor of Georgia System Must Prioritize Free Speech," by Peter Bonilla, August 23, 2011
- "Gainesville State College Remains Unaccountable for Censorship of Faculty Artwork," by Peter Bonilla, April 15, 2011
- "Dearth of Critical Thinking on Display as NKU Library Removes Anti-Klan Artwork," by Peter Bonilla, April 1, 2011
- "Gainesville State College President Censors Faculty Art Critical of Confederate Heritage," by Peter Bonilla, March 8, 2011: Gainesville State College (GSC) has unconstitutionally censored a painting critical of Confederate heritage by removing it from a faculty art exhibition. Art instructor and artist Stanley Bermudez's painting "Heritage?" features images of a lynching and of torch-wielding members of the Ku Klux Klan superimposed onto a Confederate flag. Two weeks into the exhibition, when critics of the painting contacted GSC President Martha T. Nesbitt, she removed it without notifying Bermudez. Nesbitt later defended the censorship, claiming that "I have to consider the impact of an action on the health and reputation of the institution. In this instance, I made a judgment call that the negative results would outweigh the positive ones." FIRE has asked President Nesbitt to announce to GSC's students and faculty that their protected expression will never again be subject to censorship.
