Young Americans for Freedom ejected from club rush at Florida College
Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 1:29PM 
Screen snip from one of numerous videos posted by Florida Young Americans for Freedom. FYAF members allege they were kicked off a college campus because a staff member was upset over literature critical of President Barack Obama.The Florida Young Americans for Freedom organization claims organizers were ejected from club rush on Tuesday because a college employee was upset at conservative materials critical of President Barack Obama’s policies. FYAF said the incident happened at a branch of Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth.
An official statement at the FYAF website alleged, “On Tuesday September 7, 2010 at around 11:00 am one Palm Beach State College (PBSC) student and two Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) members, state chairman Daniel P. Diaz and state vice chairman Eddie Shaffer, were shut down and had campus police called on them after tabling and recruiting during club rush at the College. The PBSC student, Christina Beattie, had received prior permission from college administrator Olivia Ford-Morris to promote her organization on campus via telephone and email communication.”
The statement also alleged Ford-Morris was” visibly disturbed by the material presented…” That material, said group members, was published by The Heritage Foundation. Heritage is one of the top conservative think tanks in the U.S. Position papers and research from Heritage have influenced policy and punditry since its inception in 1973.
The FYAF website describes Young Americans for Freedom as a conservative group founded on Sept 11, 1960. YAF is active as a national organization with chapters throughout the United States. Since its founding, YAF continuously identified itself as conservative. FYAF said YAF founders were among those who helped to define the modern meaning the term ‘conservative’ in American politics.
FYAF posted numerous videos shot during and after the incident. In one video, an FYAF member alleged that other organizations tabled at club rush without any written authorization. One FYAF organizer said two clubs tabled but were not registered to be there—one group was trying to start a chapter for a film club but declined to be interviewed.
Active clubs listed in the PBSC student handbook include Aspira (Latina student interests), Kiskeya (Haitian student interests), the Black Student Union, the Gay-Straight Alliance, Political Forum, Students for Israel, the Massage Therapy Club and a number of others.
Blogs like Gateway Pundit have weighed in on the FYAF controversy, and it is likely the story will gain momentum as more is known.
The US Report has contacted student activities coordinator Olivia Morris Ford whose surname is reversed from that given in the news release, in the email address we obtained, and Penny McIsaac, dean of student services, for a statement.
(Filed by Kay B. Day/Sept. 9, 2010)