Asbury Park Press: OCC president says both sides "happy" with lawsuit settlement

Jon H. Larson, president of Ocean County College, finally reacts to the OCC-Viking News settlement...

OCC president says both sides "happy" with lawsuit settlement
Student journalists sued college over First Amendment rights

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/19/07

BY LAUREN O. KIDD
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — In response to the settlement of a lawsuit filed against him by student journalists, Ocean County College President Jon H. Larson said Monday that he "welcomes the settlement and the chance it affords us to give our students a premier learning experience."

The settlement was announced Thursday.

The lawsuit against Larson and his administration — filed by Alberto Morales, Scott Coppola and Douglas Rush, editors of the Viking News, the college newspaper — charged that college administration officials violated their First Amendment rights.

They alleged that the administration was trying to intimidate editors and control newspaper content after the Viking News' periodic criticism of Larson and his administration's policies...

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