Montclair State University: Student Group Faces De-funding for Protected Expression

Following an extended dispute between Montclair State University's Student Government Association and The Montclarion over the lack of press access to closed meetings, SGA President Ron Chicken declared that the paper's funding would be frozen on the first day of Montclair State's Spring 2008 semester. An SGA employee even contacted the paper's publishing company and instructed it to halt future production of The Montclarion. FIRE wrote a letter to Montclair State President Susan A. Cole denouncing the SGA's actions and calling on Montclair State's administration to intervene and defend freedom of the press. Soon after, FIRE received a reply stating that the SGA had restored all of The Montclarion's funds and promising that "the administration will work with both groups to create an independent status for The Montclarion so that this type of incident can not reoccur."