Alleged Security Official Tells Student to Leave Ball State Board of Trustees Meeting for Talking Before Meeting Started
MUNCIE, Ind. (MIMS) - Minutes before the Ball State Board of Trustees meeting began, student and local activist Cooper Archer spoke with College of Communications, Information and Media (CCIM) Dean Kristen McCauliff.
After Archer mentioned when she told local organizer Joseph Souza to leave the Arts and Journalism (AJ) building in September last year, a man approached the row he was in.
“Are you an undercover cop?” Archer asked.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” the man said. The Muncie Independent Media Service (MIMS) is unable to confirm if this person is University employed or contracted security official, a University police officer, a Muncie police officer, or a private individual.
The bald, bearded man wore all black with no visible logo, identification or equipment.
When Archer asked for his name, he refused, stating he was “security.”
While someone repeatedly said “It was an accident,” Archer told the man he would speak with “whoever I please,” and the man “will not dictate how I act.”
When Archer asked “Will you arrest me if I keep talking?” the man said “Now I’m just going to ask you to leave” because Archer “could not keep it down.”
While it’s not allowed for the public to speak during meetings, historically, community members have spoken prior to and after meetings without issue.
MIMS caught this moment on its livestream of the meeting, which was broadcasted on CIMuncie.org and the CI Radio network.
“[The conversation] had nothing to do with that,” the man said. “[The Board of Trustees is] doing preparations right now, and you need to be quiet.”
“They are not preparing for anything,” Archer said. “They’re waiting for 12:59 [p.m.], they’re gonna come in one minute, they’re going to move to not speak on anything, then they’re gonna leave. Like, this is not as important as you think it is. I’m talking to a Dean who kicked a student[*] out of a hallway and threatened to have him arrested for speaking to students about a protest—about the University firing a faculty member for a private Facebook post she made.”
*Local organizer Joseph Souza is a Ball State alumni, not a current student at the time of publication. The CI, operating as a sole proprietorship prior to the establishment of MIMS, was unable to confirm that the University Police Department (UPD) was called, and McCauliff declined to provide further comment to The CI at that time.
“I’m not asking you to stop talking,” the man said. “Just lower your voice.”
“Dude, and I’m asking, who even are you?” Archer asked again. “Why are you trying to dictate how I act?”
“I wouldn’t even say he’s yelling right now,” another person said.
“I'm talking,” Archer said. “I’m allowed to talk in this public meeting, in this public space. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” the man said. “I do understand.”
“Okay, then leave me alone, please, and let me talk to this Dean,” Archer responded. “This Dean who, by the way, kicked a student[*] out of the hallway for talking.”
The man backed up and did not enforce his request.
While Archer later made two remarks during the meeting, specifically regarding President Mearns’ extended employment, he was not removed, though, Board Chair Brian Gallagher said he was disrupting the meeting.
MIMS reached out directly to Associate Vice President of University Communications and Digital Strategy Greg Fallon via email for comment, asking the following questions…
“Is the University able to confirm the man shown is a University employed or contracted security official, a University police officer, a Muncie police officer, or a private individual? If the University is unable to confirm organizational status, can the University confirm the individual was authorized to act as security for the University?
If this individual is a University official, may you please provide their University contact information, so we can reach out to them or their department for comment?
If this individual is contracted private security, may you please provide the contact information for the contractor, so we can reach out for comment?
When Archer asked if the individual was an undercover officer, he responded, “You don’t need to worry about that.” If this individual is a private individual who was unauthorized to act as security, does the University have or will establish plans to take action to prevent the impersonation of University-approved security personnel?
Without visible logos, identification or equipment, how can a member of the Ball State community or the general public verify someone is who they identify themself to be?
While it’s not allowed for the public to speak during meetings, historically, community members have spoken prior to and after meetings without issue. What is the official University policy on speaking prior to or after public meetings, such as but not limited to the Board of Trustees meeting?”
The CI, a publication of MIMS, is actively working on publishing an article regarding the full meeting.