Professor's signs draw Public Safety interest

Signs in an Erickson Hall elevator that drew attention from Public Safety and complaints from a department chair may continue to cause controversy at ISU.Journalism Professor Paul Hightower, 60, estimates that for 10 years he has been posting signs in the elevators as part of a series he calls "Elevate Your Thoughts." The signs are often inoffensive jibes that include political cartoons and Letterman-style top-10 lists, but his most recent posting drew criticism.

"They're for entertainment," Hightower said. "I don't put them up to try to clash with people; I just find things that are interesting to me and I think would be interesting to other people."On Aug. 23, Joseph Newport, associate director of Public Safety, authorized the removal of the signs in Erickson Hall elevators in response to a complaint filed with Public Safety.

The particularly offensive sign depicted three photos of a middle-eastern man burning an American flag and catching himself on fire in the process. Captions below the pictures read: American flag: $25, gasoline: $2, cigarette lighter: $2.50, catching yourself on fire because you are a terrorist asshole: priceless.Robyn Lugar, 51, chair of social work, said students have complained to her in the past about the signs. But because this sign drew particularly harsh criticism, she contacted Public Safety.

She did so because she believed it was her duty to act on her students' behalf, she said.Lugar also said she was concerned because she doesn't want those who ride in the elevators to misinterpret Hightower's opinions as those of the university."In such a public place, they (the signs) could easily be taken as the university's opinion, not just Hightower's," Lugar said.

"Offensive speech doesn't belong in those public elevators."Despite complaints, most of the feedback Hightower received has been positive, he said, and he has received comments from faculty members across campus who enjoy reading the signs when they use the elevators."I can't say I recall a faculty member, other than Robyn (Lugar), expressing a problem with them," Hightower said. "Most seem to enjoy them. I get a lot of requests for copies.

"Hightower maintains the opinion that this should never have become a police matter because the signs were not a hazard to anyone riding the elevators.

"They're the ISU police, not the thought police," Hightower said.Newport, however, said the action taken was in no way related to the opinions espoused through Hightower's signs.

Most of Hightower's signs are humorous, and pretty harmless, Newport said. However, Public Safety is obliged to answer all complaints and take appropriate action.Newport had the signs removed not because of content, but because they were posted within unauthorized placards affixed to the elevator walls.

"We weren't concerned about the content so much as the postings of these messages, in a fixed, protected setting," Newport said.

"If someone didn't like the message, they weren't free to just take it down."This is just a minor setback to Hightower, who said he plans to post more signs, in a less permanent fashion, in the future.

"I think posting has to continue to occur," Hightower said. "I don't think freedom of expression is going to die just because they took the frames down from the elevator."