Maya Washburn / Asst. News Director
University students protested against petitioner intimidation last week, following allegations of harassment by petitioners at the Modesto Maidique Campus.
“I’m sick and tired of every time I leave my car to come to class, I am harassed by a petitioner,” said Zachary Stangl, a freshman studying political science, who organized the protest. “I believe that students reserve the right to go to school without being made to feel uncomfortable–and that’s what these petitioners are doing.”
The right to petition is a First Amendment protected activity. Public universities are treated as a forum for expression for the community, attracting petitioners around the state.
Stangl gathered with a dozen students in GL on Oct. 14 in the Green Library (GL) breezeway and outside of the Graham Center. He urged students nearby to join him to increase awareness about petitioner intimidation on campus.
Stangl specifically signaled petitioners seeking signatures for the Miccosukee tribe gambling petition.
PantherNOW previously reported on unlawful actions by petitioners on campus such as interrupting two lectures, asking for forged and repeated signatures and calling students explicit names for ignoring them. It is unclear which specific groups participated in these actions.
Zachary Stangl and David Luis pose with a petitioner while holding protest signs in the GL breezeway. Elise Gregg / PantherNOW
“I was raised that if you believe in something, you fight for it,” said Stangl, referencing his efforts to rid the petitioners from campus.
However, Sade Saffold, a petitioner on campus, said the student body is inaccurately generalizing all petitioners as harassers.
“Everybody has a right to freedom of speech, but some of the things that are being said are untrue,” said Saffold. “We are obligated to do our job and be respectful.”
Stangl called on students to stop signing the petitions in efforts to drive petitioners away.
“It’s important that we safeguard ourselves,” said Stangl. “Whenever [you] see a petition, don’t sign it. If no one will sign their petitions, they’ll stop coming here.”
Another protestor, David Luis, Student Government Association (SGA) senator and sophomore studying public administration, shared the protest’s common goal.
“They are sexually harassing students and that’s horrible. I believe [FIU] has to do something about this,” said Luis.
Luis referred to allegations made by students which detailed some petitioners using verbal intimidation and sexual language to convince others to sign.
David Luis holds “stop petitioner intimidation” sign in GL breezeway. Elise Gregg / PantherNOW
Saffold noticed backlash from students while petitioning outside GL.
“Being a petitioner is very difficult because we have to talk to 100 different personalities a day,” said Saffold. “They don’t actually pay us enough to be out here dealing with so much negativity.”
Saffold hopes for peaceful coexistence between students and petitioners on campus.
“We love the students here and we love FIU,” said Saffold. “I would hope that [we can] cooperate with each other so we can get this issue solved [and] do our job [and] so the students feel safe and comfortable in school.”
PantherNOW reached out to spokespeople for the Florida Education Champions and Seminole tribe petitions and have not received responses.
Additional reporting provided by Elise Gregg and Diego Diaz.
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