Cochise Newsroom
Cochise College is clarifying its position on free speech following a recent Herald/Review
Media article with the headline, "Protester told to leave Cochise College raises free
speech questions." The headline is misleading, and the full article is behind a paywall,
preventing readers from accessing the complete context.
The college's response to an incident on September 30 at the Downtown Center was guided
by safety protocols. As a student was walking to class, an individual exercising his
right to free speech approached the student. The student reported feeling uncomfortable
and notified security. A security officer then approached the individual and redirected
him to return to the designated free speech location where the individual had been
earlier. When the individual refused, law enforcement was contacted to assist. College
administrators later reached out to the individual to provide information on how free
expression can occur at the college.
Cochise College respects the right of all members of the community to express their
ideas freely and to demonstrate their concerns in an orderly manner. The college protects
the rights of the campus community to assemble peacefully on its premises and protects
the exercise of these rights from disruption or interference. Cochise College has
adopted administrative policies 1002 Campus Demonstrations and 1021 Public Access
and Expression on College Property to provide guidance on normal college practices
related to free expression activities and encourages the college community to review
these policies to ensure these rights.
Any public area may be used for public expression consistent with Administrative Policy
1021, including on a spontaneous basis, provided that space has not already been reserved
in advance. Reservations may be made in advance but are not required. The college
has designated locations for public expression. It is not the intent of the location
designation to restrict spontaneous public expression, but to ensure ordinary college
functions are not disrupted and to protect the safety and security of the college
community and college property.
Cochise College policies can be found online at https://cochise.policystat.com/ and
questions regarding policies can be directed to Dr. Wendy Davis, Executive Vice President
for Administration at vpadmin@cochise.edu.
Credits
- Writer
Cochise College News
- DATE
October 09, 2025