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Georgetown University Law Student Government

"No Illegal Surveillance" Resolution

Resolution 0535:
Georgetown University Law Center
SBA “No Illegal Surveillance” Resolution

WHEREAS, Georgetown University Law Center respects the rights of its students to gather, organize, and speak freely on political issues without fear of government intrusion or surveillance.

WHEREAS, Ongoing revelations surrounding government surveillance programs have raised public awareness that government surveillance is expanding and existing legal safeguards are diminishing.

WHEREAS, The National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic wiretapping program has raised serious legal concerns under federal law, the First and Fourth Amendments, and the Constitution’s separation of powers.

WHEREAS, The full extent of domestic surveillance activities undertaken by government agencies including the NSA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pentagon remains unknown.

WHEREAS, There is an extensive history of government abuse of such programs.

WHEREAS, University students who have engaged in legal, non-violent political activism and education have been monitored under various state and federal government surveillance programs—UC Santa Cruz’s Students Against War, NYU Law School’s Outlaw chapter and an Arab-American conference at Stanford University are among the organizations and events that have been monitored.

WHEREAS, Catholic and Jesuit-identified organizations, including the Thomas More Center for Peace and Justice and the Catholic Workers Group have also been targeted for government surveillance.

WHEREAS, The FBI, the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission are in favor of requiring providers of communications systems, including Universities, to create systems that will facilitate government surveillance of their users.

WHEREAS, These surveillance programs and policies represent a threat to academic freedom.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Georgetown University Law Center (GULC) SBA does not condone or accept the legitimacy of any government surveillance program conducted on Georgetown University campuses that is not in accordance with federal law and the United States Constitution, and that does not protect the First and Fourth Amendment rights of all members of the university community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the GULC SBA expresses its particular concern that the government not engage in surveillance of any members of the Georgetown University community or conduct physical searches of any members of the university community, their property or university property without judicial warrants. The GULC SBA is further concerned that the government not engage in any surveillance of any student groups or individuals engaged in speech or expression protected by the First Amendment.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the GULC SBA expresses its desire that Georgetown University enact a campus-wide policy consistent with this resolution, and that the policy affirm Georgetown University’s support of its students’ rights to free political and religious assembly and expression, including their rights to engage in lawful direct action, education, and political advocacy. The GULC SBA further expresses its desire that the policy state Georgetown University’s opposition to any program that would facilitate increased surveillance of members of the university community or further threaten academic freedom.

Finally,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an official copy of this petition be printed and distributed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President of the University, Secretary of the University, Vice President General Counsel, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Provost, Dean of the College, Dean of the Graduate School, Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for Public Affairs and Strategic Development, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Dean of the Law Center.


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Sponsored by:
Beau Finley
Luke van Houwelingen

Authored by:
Rebecca Shaeffer and James Duff Lyall

Adopted:
March 29, 2006