Countywide : Golden West Students Protest Expulsions

About 20 college students and community activists on Friday protested the expulsion of three Golden West College students who were arrested two months ago for staging a sit-in at the campus.

The demonstrators gathered outside Coast Community College District headquarters

“We were kicked out of class and now we are being denied an education,” said Lupe Lopez, 21, who spent two days in jail.

Lopez, Ana Carbajal, 28, and Claudia Rochin, 20, were expelled two months ago, prohibited from completing classes and banned from attending district campus for two years.

District officials said the women violated student conduct codes and the punishment was just.

Demonstrators disagreed.

The Sept. 1 sit-in was staged to demand that Golden West College reinstate MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan), a Chicano student organization. Administrators dropped recognition when the group sponsored a scholarship fund-raiser in the spring at which alcohol was reportedly consumed. Another factor was the student group’s refusal to select a new adviser, administrators said.

“Evidence was overwhelming that alcohol was present,” said Dave Bender, the district’s attorney. Students said the club did not serve alcohol but that one attendant, not a MEChA member, did have alcohol present and was ordered to dump his drink.

Vice Chancellor Gene Farrell told Lopez: “America is going to provide you the opportunity for your day in court.”

Carbajal said she and the other women have a lawyer working on an appeal of their expulsions.

The students plan to attend Wednesday’s district Board of Trustees meeting to continue their protest. Trustees have the power to reverse the expulsions and can reinstate MEChA if they want to, Farrell said.