2022 in Review: Top 10 Campus Reform Exclusives
From political discrimination in admissions to an Ivy League school wanting 'progressive applicants,' liberal bias endures in higher education.
From political discrimination in admissions to an Ivy League school wanting “progressive applicants,” liberal bias endures in higher education. Below are Campus Reform’s top exclusive stories from 2022.
10. EXCLUSIVE: Liberty activists defeat pepper spray ban at UHart
Young Americans for Liberty successfully expanded student self-defense rights at the University of Hartford (UHart) in Connecticut following a months-long grassroots campaign aimed at getting college administrators to drop their ban on pepper spray.
Daniel Gonzalez-Allende, YAL’s Student Rights Strategist, told Campus Reform that his organization began its campaign after a student reached out complaining about not being allowed to bring pepper spray into their dorm. Gonzalez-Allende then got into contact with Anthony Pecoraro, the Connecticut State Chair for YAL, who began working with students at UHart to change its policy.
A concerned Ohio University parent is blowing the whistle on the quality of the school’s quarantine dorms after her son’s visit resulted in limited access to food. Margo Seybolt vocalized her concerns to Special Assistant to the President for Public Health Operations Gillian Ice, through which she cited limited access to food as one of the challenges her son, Emanuel Seybolt, experienced during his three-day quarantine after returning to campus for the spring semester.
“He ordered food at 6:43pm and never received a meal. He is saying he is hungry, isolated, cold, tired of hearing the person next to him coughing and the banging noises below him,” Seybolt wrote in an email to Ice obtained by Campus Reform.
8. EXCLUSIVE: UPenn wanted ‘progressive applicants’ for its police department
A hiring application at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) shows the campus police force is “seeking progressive men and women for the position of Police Officer,” an archived website obtained by Campus Reform reveals. The application does not explain how the department plans to determine whether a candidate is progressive and the site appears to have been deleted sometime after July 8.
The university’s Division of Public Safety (DPS) website currently states the police department is looking for “progressive applicants for the position of Police Officer.” No mention of “progressive” applicants is made again on the employment page.
7. EXCLUSIVE: Three conservative groups harassed at student organization fair
Campus Reform obtained a video showing an unidentified male appearing to harass conservative student groups at the University of Iowa’s Student Engagement Fair. The Aug. 31 footage shows the individual flipping over the College Republicans’ table at the event and making an obscene gesture at the group’s treasurer, Kyle Clare, while shouting the word “fascist.”
The male attempted to attack the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter’s table but was unsuccessful. He did smash the Students for Life chapter’s table with his bike helmet and proceeded to shout “fascists” at the students while making more obscene gestures.
6. EXCLUSIVE: Christian college administrator calls pro-life students ‘antagonizers’
In a video obtained by Campus Reform, a Campbell University administrator accused its pro-life group of ‘antagonizing’ abortion clinic patrons after allegedly telling the group that they could not counsel at an off-campus clinic as a group activity. Campbell University is located in North Carolina and is “a Christian university affiliated with the Baptist tradition.”
“I don’t want to use the word…‘antagonistic,’ but it could be perceived as that,” Chris O’Connor, Director of Student Activities, told Student for Life (SFL) chapter President Lydia Taylor. “You’re going there to target that business,” he argued. He further explained that any conflict that happened could get the university in trouble.
5. EXCLUSIVE: Universities pay for LGBTQ+ inclusive ranking to make money as they raise tuition
Campus Pride Index (CPI) is the “benchmark tool” for LGBTQ+ students to determine which colleges are going to be most inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly.
CPI ranks universities on a one-to-five star scale, with five indicating the most LGBTQ+ inclusive campuses. But colleges and universities pay to be ranked and can expect revenue as a result of high ratings. CPI Executive Director Shane Windmeyer explained to Campus Reform that schools are “businesses” and that they operate as such at the end of the day.
4. EXCLUSIVE: Campus security declines to investigate theft against pro-life chapter
Campbell University (CU) pro-abortion students allegedly stole a sign from Students for Life’s (SFLA) campus display. The pro-life chapter placed 1,000 pink flags in the campus’ academic circle to raise awareness about the 1,000 lives taken by abortion every 11 minutes, chapter president Lydia Taylor told Campus Reform.
The display was marked with a sign, explaining how it honored the unborn lives. It read “In remembrance of the 1,000 lives ended every 11 minutes by abortion.” The sign was allegedly stolen, however.
3. EXCLUSIVE: Methodist university displays student drag queen’s photo of himself as ‘gay’ Jesus
A photograph featuring Jesus Christ as a gay man was recently featured at Emory University’s Senior Capstone Showcase.
The photo was a self-portrait by Emory graduate Tommy Greenler, who in the accompanying text raised speculations about Jesus’ sexuality by asking, “Why did he spend much of his adult life living with 12 male admirers? Why was John the only disciple present at the Crucifixion, when many gospels confirmed that Jesus loved him in a special way,” Greenler asked.
2. EXCLUSIVE: Pro-abortion students strike again after throwing urine on pro-life students
Pro-abortion students vandalized a pro-life memorial at the College of William and Mary (W&M). videos obtained by Campus Reform show. 1,000 pink flags were planted in the ground by the W&M Students for Life chapter to represent the number of lives lost to abortion each day, Students for Life chapter president Skylar Culbertson told Campus Reform.
She explained that the ‘Cemetery of the Innocents’ display was set up around 9:00 AM. However, pro-abortion students began to dispose of the flags by 2 PM. The videos show three students removing the flags from the ground, and Culbertson claims the flags were later found in a trash can. She estimates that the students removed approximately 50 flags from the display.
1. EXCLUSIVE: Admissions counselor admits to anti-Republican bias when ‘reviewing college apps’
A Clemson University admissions counselor took to Snapchat to express her frustration with Republican students applying to the institution. Monica Rozman, a Clemson University undergraduate admissions counselor, posted an announcement to her personal Snapchat stating, “no one cares if you’re Republican.”
Campus Reform obtained a screenshot of the post. “Reviewing college apps and, just wanna say: no one cares if you’re Republican. Like, small government, low taxes, etc., republican,” Rozman wrote.
