Amnesty International Chapter Ban on Campus

Capistrano Unified School District has disallowed the establishment of chapters of Amnesty International at both Dana Hills and Capistrano Valley High schools because of a policy that says no noncurriculum-related group may have campus access during school hours. This policy is the district’s response to the federal Equal Access Act of 1984.

The district’s interpretation of this act is that if any noncurriculum-related group is allowed campus access, then “equal access” must be allowed to absolutely any other group regardless of desirability. For example, if a chess club (noncurriculum-related) is allowed campus access, then an undesirable group such as “Students for Communism” or a “Satanic Rights” group must have “equal access” to the campus.

Amnesty International is a human rights group which has as its purpose the elimination of torture, government executions and imprisonment of prisoners of conscience. Its weapons are letter-writing and the swaying of public opinion. Student proponents have quite rightly pointed out that since the California Board of Education requires human rights education, Amnesty International is quite curriculum-related. Additionally, it helps students to appreciate the human rights that are recognized in this county but ignored in many others.

There are other fine groups on campus whose claim to being curriculum-related is more questionable than the very valid claim of Amnesty International. Is it fair that a school district whose motto is “Excellence in Education” should be the only roadblock for the students who wish to use this avenue to express their humanitarian commitment? No!

An educationally responsible attitude would be one which would remove the roadblock and instead shine additional light on the path of this educational endeavor. At its meeting on March 6, the school board should follow the example of seven other high schools in this county and over 1,000 in the country that have not turned their backs on their compassionately motivated students.

MILTON B. ROUSE

San Juan Capistrano

Rouse is a teacher at Dana Hills High School.