AP: Groups protest Bosley's removal at OCC

According to an Associated Press story that came over the wire today, the Society for Professional Journalists and the Student Press Law Center have joined in the criticism of the decision by Ocean County College president Jon Larson and the board of trustees to remove Prof. Karen Bosley from her long-time post as adviser to OCC's student newspaper. The story also mentions that Bosley has support from College Media Advisers.

To learn more about the case, you can read the my previous post or read the complete AP story by clicking on the link above.

Here are some excerpts from the AP article:

After a closed door meeting with Larson and Kelly, the paper corrected several points in the story but later published a column about the meeting claiming the president threatened to "take action" against it and took editors to task for listening to "little devils" whispering in their ears. Kelly said the quote was inaccurate and the president did not try to threaten the editors...

...Officials at both College Media Advisers, a professional association that Bosley has been a member of since 1971, and the Arlington, Va.-based Student Press Law Center, where she was previously a board member, described the 63-year-old Bosley as a veteran student adviser respected by her peers.

"I've known Karen for 20 years, and if she believes this action was taken in an effort to limit her defense of a free student press, I'm inclined to believe her," said Mark Goodman, executive director of the Student Press Law Center.

Please join this battle for First Amendment rights by e-mailing OCC President Jon Larson at jlarson@ocean.edu or calling him at 732-255-0400 x330 to show your support for Prof. Bosley.

Once again, thanks.

- BK