Cedar Rapids, IA, USA  
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe Today
The Gazette The Gazette
The Gazette The Gazette
  • COVID-19
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe
CLOSE
The Gazette
Subscribe
My Account
  • News
    • All News
    • Election 2020
    • Coronavirus
    • Business News
    • Community
    • Crime and Courts
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Nation and World
    • Time Machine
    • Search Archive

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Lee Hermiston
    • Erin Jordan
    • James Q. Lynch
    • Trish Mehaffey
    • Vanessa Miller
    • Kat Russell
    • Grace King
    • John Steppe
    • Gage Miskimen
    • Marissa Payne
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Hawkeye Football
    • Hawkeye Basketball
    • Prep Sports
    • Prep Volleyball
    • Prep Football
    • Prep Basketball
    • Prep Wrestling
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • UNI Panthers
    • Small College Sports
    • Minor League Sports
    • Outdoors

    Sports Desk

    • Mike Hlas
    • Jeff Johnson
    • Jeff Linder
    • J.R. Ogden
    • K.J. Pilcher
    • Leah Vann
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Mission
    • Guest Columnists
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Political Cartoons
    • Staff Columnists
    • Staff Editorials
    • Submit a Letter or Column

    Our Columnists

    • Todd Dorman
    • Adam Sullivan
  • Food and Drink
    • All Food and Drink
    • Chew on This
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Business Notes
    • Companies
    • Personal Finance
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy
    • Manufacturing
    • Openings & Closures
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Small Business
    • Transportation

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Erin Jordan
    • John Steppe
  • Obituaries
    • All Obituaries
    • In Memory Of
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • Daily News Podcast
    • Fact Checker
    • Hlastradamus Odds
    • Iowa Prep Sports
    • On Iowa
    • On Iowa Politics
    • On UNI
    • Pinning Combination
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Music
    • Theater
    • Things To Do
  • Living
    • All Living
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • Milestones
    • People & Places
    • Pets & Animals
    • Recreation
    • Religion & Belief
    • Travel

    Our Writers

    • Diana Nollen
    • Elijah Decious
  • Kids Gazette
    • See All
    • Kids Cooking Series
    • Kids Galleries
    • Printables
    • Activities
    • Articles
    • Submissions
    • Resources
  • Photos
    • All Photos and Videos
    • The Iowa Photo
    • Photo Store

    Our Photojournalists

    • Andy Abeyta
    • Liz Martin
    • Rebecca Miller
    • Jim Slosiarek
    • Gazette Visuals
  • Milestones
    • All Milestones
    • Anniversaries
    • Days To Remember
    • Engagements
    • Holidays
    • In Remembrance
    • New Arrivals
    • Thank Yous
    • Submit a Milestone
  • Data
    • Arrests
    • Building Permits
    • Interactive Maps & Charts
    • Salaries
  • Gazette Sites
    • Classifieds
    • Corridor Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Gazette Gives Back
    • Gazette Rewards
    • Gazette Store
    • Green Gazette
    • HER
    • Iowa Wedding Experience
    • Holiday Light Finder
    • Hoopla
    • Iowa Ideas
    • Photo Store
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
    • About The Gazette
    • Archives
    • Article Removal
    • Business Directory
    • CR Arrest Database
    • Mobile Apps
    • Customer Care
    • Order Back Issues
    • Privacy Policies
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Sponsorship Requests
    • Submit a Letter
    • Weather
  • Digital Edition
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast
Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
Log out

FOLLOW US

The Gazette
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
  • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
  • Entertainment
  • Living
  • Kids Gazette
  • Photos
  • Milestones
  • Data
  • Gazette Sites
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
  • Digital Edition
  • All News
  • Election 2020
  • Coronavirus
  • Business News
  • Community
  • Crime and Courts
  • Education
  • Government
  • Health
  • Nation and World
  • Time Machine
  • Search Archive

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Lee Hermiston
  • Erin Jordan
  • James Q. Lynch
  • Trish Mehaffey
  • Vanessa Miller
  • Kat Russell
  • Grace King
  • John Steppe
  • Gage Miskimen
  • Marissa Payne
  • All Sports
  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Hawkeye Football
  • Hawkeye Basketball
  • Prep Sports
  • Prep Volleyball
  • Prep Football
  • Prep Basketball
  • Prep Wrestling
  • Iowa State Cyclones
  • UNI Panthers
  • Small College Sports
  • Minor League Sports
  • Outdoors

Sports Desk

  • Mike Hlas
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Jeff Linder
  • J.R. Ogden
  • K.J. Pilcher
  • Leah Vann
  • All Opinion
  • Editorial Mission
  • Guest Columnists
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Political Cartoons
  • Staff Columnists
  • Staff Editorials
  • Submit a Letter or Column

Our Columnists

  • Todd Dorman
  • Adam Sullivan
  • All Food and Drink
  • Chew on This
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants
  • All Business
  • Agriculture
  • Business Notes
  • Companies
  • Personal Finance
  • Economy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Manufacturing
  • Openings & Closures
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Small Business
  • Transportation

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Erin Jordan
  • John Steppe
  • All Obituaries
  • In Memory Of
  • Submit an Obituary
  • All Podcasts
  • Daily News Podcast
  • Fact Checker
  • Hlastradamus Odds
  • Iowa Prep Sports
  • On Iowa
  • On Iowa Politics
  • On UNI
  • Pinning Combination
  • All Entertainment
  • Art
  • Books
  • Museums & Galleries
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Things To Do
  • All Living
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Milestones
  • People & Places
  • Pets & Animals
  • Recreation
  • Religion & Belief
  • Travel

Our Writers

  • Diana Nollen
  • Elijah Decious
  • See All
  • Kids Cooking Series
  • Kids Galleries
  • Printables
  • Activities
  • Articles
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • All Photos and Videos
  • The Iowa Photo
  • Photo Store

Our Photojournalists

  • Andy Abeyta
  • Liz Martin
  • Rebecca Miller
  • Jim Slosiarek
  • Gazette Visuals
  • All Milestones
  • Anniversaries
  • Days To Remember
  • Engagements
  • Holidays
  • In Remembrance
  • New Arrivals
  • Thank Yous
  • Submit a Milestone
  • Arrests
  • Building Permits
  • Interactive Maps & Charts
  • Salaries
  • Classifieds
  • Corridor Careers
  • Garage Sales
  • Gazette Gives Back
  • Gazette Rewards
  • Gazette Store
  • Green Gazette
  • HER
  • Iowa Wedding Experience
  • Holiday Light Finder
  • Hoopla
  • Iowa Ideas
  • Photo Store
  • About The Gazette
  • Archives
  • Article Removal
  • Business Directory
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Mobile Apps
  • Customer Care
  • Order Back Issues
  • Privacy Policies
  • Puzzle Answers
  • Sponsorship Requests
  • Submit a Letter
  • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
LOG OUT

FOLLOW US

More Stories

Brucemore celebrates 40 years of being open to the public

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

Meet the Iowan behind the Vaccine Hunter website

Wellington Heights home gutted in 2017 fire finally coming down

26-year-old man killed in shooting in NE Cedar Rapids

Peggy Whitson to be keynote speaker for Iowa Ideas 2021

Here’s how to get rid of your derecho tree debris

Livestream: Funeral for Iowa state trooper Jim Smith

Home / News / Education

Iowa State reports no indication ‘students were involved in criminal activity’ at U.S. Capitol

Vanessa MillerBy: Vanessa Miller Jan. 13, 2021 1:14 pm Updated: Jan. 13, 2021 7:57 pm
Iowa State reports no indication ‘students were involved in criminal activity’ at U.S. Capitol

Although Iowa State University's College Republicans tweeted last week that its members were 'fighting on the front lines in DC” as 'brave patriots” during the day of the U.S. Capitol insurrection, campus officials this week told The Gazette they have no knowledge those students broke the law.

'At this time, there is no indication that any students were involved in criminal activity related to the U.S. Capitol breach,” ISU spokeswoman Angie Hunt said. 'We continue to monitor the situation. If conduct violates the law or university policy, we will take appropriate action.”

The 'College Republicans at Iowa State” Twitter handle on Jan. 6 posted, 'We are in DC and Des Moines fighting for America.”

Before insurrectionists breached the Capitol - forcing lawmakers to flee and shelter from mob violence that left five people dead - the ISU College Republicans account tweeted, 'people fighting on the front lines in DC (many are members of our club) are brave patriots.”

Since The Gazette reported on the posts last week, that Twitter account has changed its handle to 'Punished College Republicans at Iowa State” and restricted viewers.

A separate 'Unpunished College Republicans at Iowa State” account the morning of Jan. 6 tweeted, 'It's our democratic process and we'll disrupt it if we want to,” and then later that evening wrote, 'If you abolish the police then who are you gonna call when we stage a coup on the Capitol?”

Student leaders of the ISU group haven't responded to The Gazette's outreach via Twitter, email and phone.

The organization

Its organization page on the ISU website indicates it 'serves as a gateway for conservatives and right-leaning students to connect” and 'upholds and defends the principles set forth in the Constitution of the United States of America.”

The ISU College Republicans organization page reports the group has 32 ISU members and 30 non-ISU members - giving campus-affiliated participants a 52 percent edge.

Iowa State's Student Organization policy requires groups - for recognition as a 'student organization” - to be 'composed primarily of ISU students (minimum 80 percent student membership).”

For recognition as a 'campus organization” - open to members with or without ISU ties, like alumni or Ames residents - at least half the group's voting members must be in the ISU community.

Recognized organizations can tap campus resources like meeting space, technology, financial accounts and trademarks - along with 'eligibility, but not the right” to use ISU vehicles, programming services, facilities and Student Government fee allocations.

Campus organizations, though, get third-priority consideration for things like event and office space. Those groups get only limited support from ISU for things like legal advice and risk management related to events. And their use of ISU trademarks is limited, according to the policy.

Iowa State's College Republicans, via its constitution, reports being open to 'any and all individuals who are registered students at Iowa State.”

'All members shall act in a manor becoming of a member of the Republican Party and an Iowa State student,” according to the constitution. 'They shall act with honesty, integrity and kindness toward others … and never discriminate against others based on” race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other protected class.

Twitter accounts

Both Twitter accounts purporting connection with the Iowa State College Republicans have long posted messages - some derogatory and racist - targeting, among other groups, minorities, women and members of the LGTBQ community.

Iowa State's student conduct code prohibits 'participating in group behavior that involves damage to property/vandalism or defacement, or threatened damage to property/vandalism or defacement.”

Although Iowa State has an anti-harassment policy barring 'all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment based on protected status,” the Board of Regents also has a broad free speech policy recently enacted after the Iowa Legislature in 2019 adopted a new law related to free expression at its public colleges and universities.

The regents code states, among other things, 'It is not the proper role of the regent universities to shield individuals from speech protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which may include ideas and opinions the individual finds unwelcome, disagreeable, or even offensive.”

Iowa State and the University of Iowa in recent years have faced - and lost - lawsuits alleging First Amendment violations.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com

Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C. Iowa State University's College Republicans tweeted at the time that its members were 'fighting on the front lines in DC' as 'brave patriots,' but ISU officials told The Gazette they have no knowledge any of its students broke the law during the breach of the Capitol. (Associated Press)
Election 2020
Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller

Reporter, The Gazette

Higher education reporter for The Gazette in Eastern Iowa. I love news tips, story ideas and reader feedback.

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

UI bookstore changes strip alternative book vendors from website

2nd University of Iowa presidential finalist touts visibility, diversity, communication

Grinnell College mandating COVID vaccines

CFO: University of Iowa hospitals doing better than most post-COVID

All articles by Vanessa

Give us feedback

We work hard to provide fair, accurate coverage because we value your trust. If you find an error or omission in our reporting, please tell us here.

Submit a story idea

Do you have a story idea that we should look into? Please tell us here.

Related Stories

Iowa Secretary of State to Pelosi: ‘Iowans should have the…

Iowa Secretary of State to Pelosi: ‘Iowans should have the…

By Tom Barton, Quad-City Times Government & Politics Mar. 29, 2021 4:24 pm

Republicans Reynolds, Pate blast U.S. House review of Iowa’s 2nd…

Republicans Reynolds, Pate blast U.S. House review of Iowa’s 2nd…

By Tom Barton, Quad-City Times Government & Politics Mar. 25, 2021 7:25 pm

Rita Hart pushes ahead with election challenge while some House…

Rita Hart pushes ahead with election challenge while some House…

By Tom Barton, Quad-City Times Government & Politics Mar. 23, 2021 7:19 pm

Education

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed 3h ago

UI bookstore changes strip alternative book vendors from website

UI bookstore changes strip alternative book vendors from website

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed Apr. 16, 2021 10:07 am

Peggy Whitson to be keynote speaker for Iowa Ideas 2021

Peggy Whitson to be keynote speaker for Iowa Ideas 2021

Grace King

Apr. 15, 2021 2:15 pm

2nd University of Iowa presidential finalist touts visibility, diversity, communication

2nd University of Iowa presidential finalist touts visibility, diversity, communication

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed Apr. 15, 2021 7:58 pm

News

100 bills in Hinson’s first 100 days in House

100 bills in Hinson’s first 100 days in House

James Q. Lynch

Government & Politics 36m ago

More than 2 million vaccine doses have been administered in…

More than 2 million vaccine doses have been administered in…

Kat Russell

Health Care and Medicine 46m ago

NewBoCo to offer zero-interest loans to minority-owned businesses

NewBoCo to offer zero-interest loans to minority-owned businesses

John Steppe

Small Business News 3h ago

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed 3h ago

Sports

We had questions; Caitlin Clark has answers

We had questions; Caitlin Clark has answers

Jeff Linder

Hawkeye Basketball 3m ago

Cedar Rapids Kernels preparing for a very unique 2021 season

Cedar Rapids Kernels preparing for a very unique 2021 season

Jeff Johnson

Minor League Sports 15m ago

Keeping fit during quarantine is important

Keeping fit during quarantine is important

By Max Berry-Stoelzle

Iowa Prep Sports 4h ago

State-qualifying track and field assignments are released

State-qualifying track and field assignments are released

Jeff Linder

High School Track and Field Apr. 16, 2021 10:34 am

Opinion

Migrant children are not ’our problem,’ governor — they’re our…

Migrant children are not ’our problem,’ governor — they’re our…

Staff Editorial

Opinion 90m ago

’Back the Blue’ legislation makes Iowans less safe and free

’Back the Blue’ legislation makes Iowans less safe and free

Christina Bohannan and Janice Weiner

Guest Columnists Apr. 15, 2021 5:36 pm

Lack of oversight at Iowa’s prisons is a deadly problem

Lack of oversight at Iowa’s prisons is a deadly problem

Staff editorial

Staff Editorials Apr. 16, 2021 7:55 am

Don’t give college sports a blank check

Don’t give college sports a blank check

Staff editorial

Opinion Apr. 15, 2021 5:10 pm

FOLLOW US

The Gazette is Iowa’s independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage.

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 116 3rd St SE
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
  • customercare@thegazette.com
  • (319) 398-8333
  • Live Chat

Links

  • Puzzle Answers
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Article Removal Request
  • Gazette Archives
  • Green Gazette
  • Corridor Careers Jobs
  • Work at The Gazette
  • Customer Care

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility
Folience A Folience Company