EDITORIAL – Nichol resignation reveals disregard for Constitution

The president of the public College of William ‘ Mary, Gene Nichol, decided to resign… The president of the public College of William ‘ Mary, Gene Nichol, decided to resign yesterday after the college’s board informed him that his contract would not be renewed in July.

Nichol drew much criticism from alumni and donors when, in October 2006, he removed a Christian cross from permanent display in the school’s Wren Chapel, the country’s oldest college chapel. The chapel is used for both secular and religious events. Nichol claimed the cross would make students of other faiths feel unwelcome.

Following this decision, Nichol’s subsequent actions were highly scrutinized. When he decided not to ban a sex-workers art show on campus, citing freedom of speech, scores of alumni and donors were outraged, many of whom stopped donating money.

In a statement to the university community posted on the William ‘ Mary website, Nichol said that his decision to remove the cross was based on the separation of church and state and “motivated by the desire to extend the College’s welcome more generously to all.”

In addition to being the former president of William ‘ Mary, Nichol is an accomplished constitutional lawyer. Clearly, he is not some crazy liberal zealot determined to wreak havoc on the college’s traditions. Rather, if anyone can make an educated decision on matters of the separation of church and state and freedom of speech, it’s Nichol.

But a critic of Nichol, Virginia Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, said, according to The New York Times, “The fact is his behavior was threatening the commonwealth. That was the only threat around here.”

What we don’t understand is how upholding the standards of free speech and separation of church and state are “threatening” to the commonwealth. On the contrary, Nichol’s actions strengthen the values upon which this country was founded.

William ‘ Mary is the second oldest college in the nation, almost as old as the principles of freedom of speech and the separation of church and state. Preserving those values should be of the utmost importance for the college as opposed to trying to pander to its alumni and donors.

It’s quite simple. A public college should not display any religious symbols on its buildings and alienate students of other religions. Most schools have organizations like Hillel or the Muslim Student Association or Campus Crusade for Christ that enable students to participate in religious activities of their choice. But to display the symbol of one distinct religion on a public building is not only insulting, but it also violates the constitution.

Furthermore, banning any show – whether its focus is sex workers or not – is a violation of the First Amendment.

Nichol’s decisions were rational and responsible and reflect the standards by which every public college president should lead. Many William ‘ Mary students have stood by him, praising him for making the college more accessible to minorities.

We, too, support Gene Nichol for improving the college environment and upholding the constitution.