The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed disappointment and concern over a decision by Mansfield City Schools to withdraw permission for a controversial speaking event that had been scheduled Monday at a school building.
The event, organized by the Mansfield North Central Ohio Tea Party Association, included a presentation by Usama Dakdok, characterized by some as “anti-Islam.”
“While we might disagree with the message of the speaker, they have a right like any other group to fully air their views without interference by government officials. Public officials -- sheriff and superintendent included -- have a duty to provide a safe venue for all speakers. Shutting down an event because some individual or group does not like the message is dangerous to free society and the democratic process,” ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link said in a written statement Tuesday.
Mansfield City Schools Superintendent Dan Freund announced Monday the school would not host the evening event organized by the tea party group, citing safety concerns about the number of people who would turn out to support or oppose Dakdok.
Freund said the presumed content of the speaking event was not a factor in the decision.
A coalition of advocacy groups opposed to the message of the keynote speaker was scheduled to host a press conference later that morning. The groups, including the Mansfield branch of the NAACP, applauded the school district for not allowing the event to happen.
Bonnie Oleksa, an organizer with the tea party group that invited Dakdok, said she was disappointed with the district’s decision.
“We don’t deserve this treatment,” she said. “We paid to rent (space in) that school, we had a contract for that school and we put out radio spots advertising the event.”
Oleksa said the district was pressured to cancel the event. She said the tea party group will be pursuing legal action in response to the school district’s decision.
“I don’t want this to happen to us again,” Oleksa said.
She said she was grateful for the ACLU’s words of support.
The tea party group is scheduled to host several future events at Mansfield Senior High School, including a mayoral candidate’s forum and a rally commemorating the founding of the tea party movement. The ACLU expressed concerns whether the group would be allowed to hold the events at the school.
“Shutting down the venue for one speech does not eliminate the message. Censorship is counterproductive for all groups, as it lays the groundwork for the government to suppress future messages of the very groups protesting,” Link said. “Speech must be protected for all, or ultimately it will be available to no one.”
Freund said the school district has not discussed whether it will allow the tea party group to hold future events on school grounds. He said the district’s decision to withdraw permission for the Monday event was the right move. Freund consulted with Mansfield police before making the call.
“We think we followed our policy and did what was best to protect our children, who are in and around our building in the evening,” he said.
Police Chief Dino Sgambellone said allowing the event to be held on school property presented a potentially dangerous situation.
“It was just unknown if 20 people would attend or 500,” he said. “When you have passionate people coming together on both sides of an issue, I would hate to see something tragic happen.
“It’s not that people don’t have the right to protest, but let’s do it at a venue that doesn’t present a possible danger for children.”
The tea party group was able to arrange an alternate location for the Monday speaking event, an office complex at 1456 Park Avenue West. More than 350 people crowded into the space to hear Dakdok. Tea party members receptive to the lecture bumped elbows with concerned listeners from the local branch of the NAACP and the Islamic Society of Mansfield.
No one was observed protesting outside during Dakdok’s 150-minute lecture. The Christian evangelist’s interpretations of Islam and the Koran drew mixed reactions from the crowd. The meeting included a few outbursts, but was otherwise orderly.