Last Tuesday it was reported by the Santa Barbara Independent that a University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) professor aggressively attacked pro-life ministry students who were handing out information in a designated free-speech zone on campus.
Video appears to show Dr. Mireille Miller-Young, an associate professor of Feminist Studies at UCSB, angrily confronting the Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust–pro-life demonstrators and exchanged heated words with them. Joan Short, a student at Thomas Aquinas College, and her sister Thrin were two of the pro-life activists involved. The group was handing out flyers of graphic images associated with abortion and its evils. The professor was apparently disturbed by the materials and proceeded to tear down their banner and went as far as to assault one of the demonstrators.
Joan called 9-1-1 to report the incident and police arrived on scene to interview those involved and stated that Dr. Miller was in fact the leader of the assault and committed vandalism against her group. The incident is now being investigated by the UCSB police department and criminal charges are being pursued by the pro-life group. Dr. Miller-Young has been reached out to for comment but has declined and has now retained an attorney.
Students across the country are already having their first amendment rights restricted to free speech zones on campus, but they are not even safe to speak freely in those spaces anymore.
Ashley Pratte is the Public Relations Officer for Young America’s Foundation
Pictures and video can be found in the Santa Barbara Independent