A South Seattle College employee was caught on video appearing to advise students to “not be nice” to Turning Point USA (TPUSA) activists. The school’s TPUSA chapter president Katie Daviscourt told Breitbart News that several college employees had approached her recruiting table last week, where they attempted to dissuade fellow students from joining her group by suggesting that she and other conservatives are racist.
“I would not be nice, I would walk away,” said the director of Workforce Education at South Seattle College, Patrice Davis. “They really don’t like Asian people, they don’t like black people, they don’t like any of that.”
Davis’ comments were caught on video and later posted to Twitter by TPUSA Regional Manager Richard Mills.
Whether or not I incorrectly cited “slander,” that doesn’t negate that a group of @SouthSeattleCC staff actively impeded on the first amendment rights of students and visitors on campus, falsely labeling them racist and physically preventing them from recruiting.
It’s not okay! pic.twitter.com/pDPr5MXHJx
— RAM (Richard Armande Mills) (@RAMRANTS) February 24, 2020
“You guys are able to think for yourselves, you guys can be free thinkers,” Daviscourt can be heard saying to students while Davis advises them to “walk away” from her TPUSA recruiting table.
“I would not be nice, I would walk away,” said Davis. “They really don’t like Asian people, they don’t like black people, they don’t like any of that.”
“It’s true,” added a woman who appeared to be the school’s Community Resource Navigator, Kerri Sudthisa.
“No, that’s not true at all,” said Daviscourt.
Mills had filmed several additional videos documenting the instances that unfolded between TPUSA members and the South Seattle College employees.
.@SouthSeattleCC staff claim they weren’t there to prevent us from recruiting for TPUSA, but they physically did multiple times. Staff also claimed minority students felt “unsafe” by our presence on campus, but most of the students that visited our table were minorities.
Lies… pic.twitter.com/dCYBUrVY15
— RAM (Richard Armande Mills) (@RAMRANTS) February 24, 2020
“I’m standing here, holding my sign, and [Davis] literally came up in front of me, and she’s talking to these students, and she’s telling [them] that we’re not good,” said Mills in another video.
“I just had this guy over here with the bald head and beard say that I am literally a white supremacist, and when I asked him for proof, he just that it’s just online. He had no actual categorical evidence to prove what he was saying,” continued Mills, pointing his camera at an individual who appeared to be the school’s Workforce Specialist, Julius Lloyd.
“You recruit white nationalists, that’s what you do,” said Lloyd in another video obtained by Breitbart News.
“We denounce white nationalists,” said Daviscourt.
“No, no you don’t,” retorted Lloyd.
“Yes, we absolutely do,” countered Mills.
Mills told Breitbart News that the college staffers had also handed out flyers accusing the conservative group of being “racist” and affiliated with “white nationalists,” among other accusations.
“The reason why, like, we’re here is not to prevent you from saying what you want to say,” @SouthSeattleCC staff told us as his coworkers prevented @KatieDaviscourt from recruiting for TPUSA. He also claimed we made minority students “feel unsafe,” but many visited our table. 🙃 pic.twitter.com/hIr8T5fTs0
— RAM (Richard Armande Mills) (@RAMRANTS) February 24, 2020
“I just want to say, like, the reason why, like, we’re here, is not to prevent you from saying what you want to say,” said another individual who appeared to be a South Seattle College employee. “What I’m trying to say is, like, the reason why we’re here is in support of our students of color who feel unsafe because you are here.”
“The reality is, they just don’t feel safe with you here because of what your organization represents,” he added.
“This is a silencing tactic,” reacted Mills. “You’re literally making this up.”
“It’s not a silencing tactic, it’s actually just real facts,” said the apparent staffer.
“Where are these students that are so scared of us? The ones that you’re talking for?” inquired Mills.
“I’m being reasonable, I’m not arguing with you, all I’m saying is that we’re in support of our students,” responded the individual.
“You’re not being reasonable at all,” said Mills. “You’re following us around campus, you’re intimidating, you’re bullying, you’re slandering, you’re doing a bunch of horrible things that are based on actual lies and fake news.”
In another video obtained by Breitbart News, Mills can be heard rebuking Davis and other college employees for fostering an environment that is hostile toward the conservative students.
“You guys have literally cultivated an atmosphere where [Daviscourt] can’t even walk down the damn hall without being called a racist or Nazi,” said Mills to Davis. “You need to stop lying. You are a liar.”
Last year, police investigated a hit and run accident that they considered a “bias incident” after a man appeared to follow Daviscourt with his vehicle as she walked to her car. The incident resulted in the conservative student calling 911 after the man struck another vehicle while circling her with his SUV.
“Staff members from South Seattle College stalked, harassed, and slandered us to every student that was interested in Turning Point USA,” said Daviscourt to Breitbart News. “We had staff rip signs out of an interested individual’s hand and told them that I am racist and TPUSA is a racist organization.”
“South Seattle College claims that they are abiding by President Trump’s ‘Freedom of Speech’ Executive Order, but they are directly impeding on my ability to recruit students through silencing techniques,” she added.
A South Seattle College spokesperson told Breitbart News that “as a public institution of higher education, South Seattle College is committed to providing a forum that allows for varying perspectives and the opportunity for discussion.”
“First Amendment protections allow the presentation of alternative viewpoints on our campuses, and we welcome free speech and open debate,” added the spokesperson.
“All members of the campus community have a right to express their views,” said the spokesperson. “This includes staff when they are on breaks or off the clock.”
Davis and Lloyd did not respond to Breitbart News’ request for comment.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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