LCC Board of Education Testimony — October 7, 2026

Here are my remarks made before the Lane Community College Board of Education on October 7, 2026

Members of the Board, President Bulger, President Hadley: Good evening.

My name is Jim Arnold. I am a retired college administrator and former part-time LCC faculty member.

I’m here tonight to speak about the College’s treatment of Richard Riordan. On Sunday, I emailed you my essay summarizing the federal court’s opinion. I hope you had time to review it.

To summarize, briefly:

Richard repeatedly criticized LCC administrators and you, the Board, over program cuts, budget decisions and the data used to defend them. The College responded by banning him from seven properties and blocking his registration until the end of the century.

On September 28th, U.S. District Judge Michael McShane ordered LCC to remove the enrollment hold and allow Richard to return to classes. Although the ruling was preliminary, McShane found that Richard was likely to succeed on his claim that LCC retaliated against him for speech protected by the First Amendment.

The court also found nothing in the record showing that Richard posed a threat. Judge McShane called LCC’s safety argument “anemic and unconvincing” and its sanctions “unreasonable and legally unsupported.”

My recommendations to you are straightforward.

First, commission an independent review to determine who approved the sanctions, what evidence they relied on, why Richard was NOT told what rule he had broken, and why he had no fair chance to respond. Publish the findings and require President Bulger to respond publicly.

Then act on the findings. Correct any unsupported claims in Richard’s file that could harm his education or future employment. Determine what consequences, if any, are warranted for the administrators responsible. And adopt protections requiring notice, access to evidence, a prompt hearing and a fair appeal before any extended campus ban or registration block.

But do not use the review as an excuse to delay what is already due: an immediate public apology from President Bulger and the Board to Richard and the community.

LCC cannot claim to value free speech while punishing criticism that makes its leaders merely uncomfortable. It is time to admit what went wrong, repair the harm and make sure it Never. Happens. Again.

Thank you.

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