Name: UMN fees for student newspaper, cultural groups are illegal, students say in lawsuit
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UMN fees for student newspaper, cultural groups are illegal, students say in lawsuit

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By | | Pioneer PressTwo students say in a new lawsuit that the University of Minnesota’s fee distribution practices illegally favor certain student groups over others.Students at the U’s Twin Cities campus each pay around $900 a year in student fees, most of which covers health and recreation services and the student unions. A small portion of that revenue goes to numerous student groups, which apply for funding under guidelines intended to be “viewpoint-neutral.”In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, students Evan Smith and Isaac Smith say the selection process is unconstitutional and lacks an avenue to appeal funding decisions.The complaint takes aim at two types of student groups:“Over the decades, the Coffman Memorial Union Student Cultural Centers, and University of Minnesota officials, claim that lounges for each Coffman Memorial Union Student Cultural Center is their ‘safe space’ — meaning others are excluded,” according to the complaint, filed by attorney Erick Kaardal.The complaint also charges that the process unfairly excludes groups that have existed for less than a year — or longer, depending on the campus — as well as partisan political groups.One group for Republican students, according to the complaint, went unfunded until it changed its name to Campus Conservative Cultural Program.The Smiths are fee-paying Twin Cities students.Joining them as a plaintiff is Viewpoint Neutrality Now!, an association of U students seeking to reform the student-fee disbursement system; the group has not sought a share of student fee revenue.The plaintiffs are seeking a judge’s declaration that the fee disbursement process violates their free speech and due process rights. They want fee disbursement to stop and to be awarded attorneys fees.We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.Sign up for Newsletters and AlertsFollow UsMost PopularClose

By | | Pioneer PressTwo students say in a new lawsuit that the University of Minnesota’s fee distribution practices illegally favor certain student groups over others.Students at the U’s Twin Cities campus each pay around $900 a year in student fees, most of which covers health and recreation services and the student unions. A small portion of that revenue goes to numerous student groups, which apply for funding under guidelines intended to be “viewpoint-neutral.”In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, students Evan Smith and Isaac Smith say the selection process is...

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UMN fees for student newspaper, cultural groups are illegal, students say in lawsuit

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