Tim Tizon (r) discussing free speech with another student on
March 3, 2022 at that banned YAL table on the ASU campus.

They’re coming for you next: Tim Tizon, a former Arizona State University (ASU) student, has now appealed his conviction for trespass, filed against him by the university because he had had the nerve to distribute copies of the Constitution to others, without obtaining the school’s permission.

He is being represented by the Liberty Justice Center (LJC). You can read his appeal here [pdf].

The facts of the case however are simple, and mirror numerous other similar incidents on many American campuses in the past decade, all designed to silence conservatives. On March 3, 2022, when he was still a student of ASU, he had set up a table on campus as a member of the ASU chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) to help educate others on the Constitution. As noted in his appeal:

All the witnesses who testified confirmed that Tim’s table displayed the YAL logo, was not blocking any pedestrian walkways, and was not taking any other group’s reserved space—indeed, no one had reserved space that day and no other groups had set up tables. University officials approached Tim, told him that he was standing in a “reservable area,” and explained that he must vacate it because he did not have a reservation.

Furthermore, as noted on the LJC website:

ASU officials said that the location could only be used by recognized student organizations after completing paperwork and securing several levels of sign-offs from university bureaucrats. In fact, however, the North Plaza of ASU’s Tempe campus, where Tizon was located, is designated as a public forum–so Tizon had every right to hand out copies of the Constitution.

During the incident, Tizon was told he could move his table to a remote spot on campus. He refused, because moving there would essentially be censoring him because no one would see his table. The school then charged him with trespass, and he was convicted, sentenced to pay a $300 fine as well as perform fifteen hours of community service.

In the end, it is clear that the university’s real goal was to silence Tizon and YAL, not maintain order on campus. If you doubt that, below are just a few of the stories in recent years about oppression and bigotry ASU.

• ASU blacklists American flag, replacing it with anti-American flags promoting the queer agenda
• Today’s blacklisted American: Kyle Rittenhouse temporarily forced out of ASU
• Universities increasingly encouraging segregated events
• ASU engages in ‘blatant censorship,’ blocks access to petition-hosting website

The administration and faculty at ASU are clearly in favor of a leftist and bigoted agenda, and are also willing to do ugly things to prevent any dissent to that agenda.

Tizon’s lawsuit describes just one more example. In it his lawyers claim that the university violated his first amendment rights under the Constitution, his rights under Arizona’s Forum Act (which was passed in 2018 to protect the free speech of students on state campuses), and his rights under the Arizona constitution itself. The appeal, which was filed this week, seeks to get Tizon’s conviction reversed and removed from his record.

Even if Tizon should win entirely, however, it will be a somewhat pointless victory. ASU will not be punished in any way for its wrongful action. Nor will that victory require any change in its behavior or an end to its “free speech zone” policies.

LJC should instead be suing for damages, with a demand that ASU be forbidden from enforcing those unconstitutional policies.