Fourth Estate/Viviana Smith

The Know Your Rights initiative was introduced by Griffin Crouch, the Chair of the Academics Committee in the Student Senate, in hopes to foster a more informed and engaged campus community

BY ALI ALI, NEWS EDITOR

In his first semester at Mason, Freshman Griffin Crouch joined Mason Student Government in an effort to make a difference for the student body. He served as Secretary between October 2023 and January 2024, where he aided Clerk Austin Emery. On Jan. 25, Crouch was elected as Chair of the Academics Committee. “I am still getting used to the role but excited for the months and initiatives ahead,” said Crouch.

In fall 2023, Crouch initiated the “Know Your Rights” campaign, inspired by observing various protests taking place on campus. Crouch shared that an uneven playing field, characterized by a lack of awareness of rights, rules and resources could lead to heightened tensions on campus. 

The initiative, which was passed on Nov. 30, 2023, aims to provide students with a comprehensive guide to their rights, Mason’s rules, and other protest related. The guide itself has been published on the Student Government website. It simplifies university policies on public demonstrations and free speech, outlines the limits of rules concerning First Amendment rights and directs students to appropriate channels if they feel unjustly treated. It also educates students on the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

The Guide starts off with a note on Mason’s Notes, which states: “This campaign intends to ensure a level playing field for everyone at Mason, by spreading awareness about rules protest and rallies for students, members of the general public and faculty.” The flier shows protesters the limitations they must adhere to, which include Sound , Space, Poster and General Public Policies.

While the promotional phase is set to conclude in February, Crouch sees improvements to address concerns on campus. Plans include emphasizing all First Amendment rights, incorporating specifics regarding new University policies and responding to student feedback to enhance the guide.

The guide mentions resources available to students which includes forms and contacts provided to them by the university. First, an Incident Reporting Form can be filled out by a protester in an event of a violation of constitutionally-protected speech. Once the protester either completes the form or a Bias Incident Reporting Form, which itself can be reported after an act of “intolerance, hate, harassment, or exclusion” is found, then they are contacted by campus resources for further assistance.

Crouch shared his thoughts on the recent policy change requiring students to present identification if covering their faces, particularly in protest situations. “I think it’s a good sign that all the Mason policy requires is that someone with a face covering needs to show identification only to an authorized Mason employee,” Crouch said. “That means their identities won’t be found out by anyone trying to dox them, as has happened elsewhere.” 

The Know Your Rights initiative is an effort to ensure that Mason students are well-informed and able to safely participate in civic engagement on campus. “Don’t be afraid to exercise your First Amendment free speech, always try to be civil and respectful, and Know Your Rights,” Crouch said. “Hopefully, constant improvement of the guide will outlast me and become a permanent part of how Student Government helps the Mason community.”