Los Angeles City College: Threats to Freedom of the Press

In 2009, Los Angeles City College faced criticism after a basketball coach told a student journalist to drop a story about academic fraud in the basketball team, and the college president reduced the student newspaper’s printing budget by 40%. Although LACC issued a press release denying any First Amendment problem at the college, FIRE and the Student Press Law Center wrote to LACC’s Board of Trustees on January 15, 2010, calling on it to “act proactively to improve the climate for student journalists at LACC.” LACC president Jamillah Moore was later assigned to a new position, effectively ending the censorship of the student newspaper.