California College Settles with Students Over Free Speech Dispute

Golden West College students Matin Samimiat and Annaliese Hutchings, part of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), received a settlement from the Coast Community College District after being threatened with discipline for their whiteboard messages. The messages, displayed during February and March 2025 recruiting events, included “Illegal immigration is a cancer upon any society in the world” and “Hamas is a terrorist organization and they must be wiped from the face of the Earth.” Director of Student Life Stephanie Smallshaw warned the students, claiming the cancer metaphor “dehumanizes a group of people” and could harm those affected by cancer, and that the Hamas statement could “incite violence.”

The settlement, finalized July 17, 2025, awarded each student $17.91 and nearly $26,000 in legal fees. The district agreed to revise its student code of conduct, repealing the prohibition on “hateful behavior” and amending the “Infliction of Mental Harm” clause to protect First Amendment speech. “Students shouldn’t have to try to guess what speech is allowed by college administrators or fear punishment for taking a political stance,” said Alan Gura, vice president for litigation at the Institute for Free Speech, which represented the students.