College of the Holy Cross: Abridgement of Freedom to Display Patriotic Symbols
The chair of the Department of Sociology at the College of the Holy Cross forced a secretary to remove an American flag that hung in the office in memory of a friend who fought and died on the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. When the secretary refused, it was removed by the chair himself. After critical media coverage, the College apologized, but the office remains without the flag.
- "College of the Holy Cross," October 24, 2001: At the College of the Holy Cross, in Massachusetts, the chair of the department of sociology, Professor Royce Singleton, demanded that a secretary remove an American flag that she had hung in the departmental office. The flag was in memory of her friend Todd Beamer, who fought and died on the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. When she refused, Singleton removed it himself. After unfavorable publicity, the College apologized, but the flag in question was moved to the department of psychology.
Case Materials
- "Thought Police Spring to Action on the Campus,"
by Jonathan Yardley, The Record, November 26, 2001 - "Ticketing the Campus Thought Police,"
by Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post, November 12, 2001 - "The Death of Free Speech in Higher Ed,"
by Andrea Neal, The Indianapolis Star, October 31, 2001 - "America Prepares Domestic Impact; Campuses See a Down-side to Unity Civil Rights Stifled, Some Professors Say,"
by David Abel, The Boston Globe, October 6, 2001
