Updated: June 7, 2013, 2:40 p.m.
After AbortionNo.org posted a video of a confrontation between then-senior nursing major Diana Jimenez and Campus Safety to YouTube on June 3, Gregg Cunningham, executive director of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, claimed credit for the video. The footage is of Jimenez and Campus Safety chief John Ojeisekhoba, regarding the display of photos featuring aborted fetuses.
CBR DIRECTOR CHALLENGES BIOLA
Cunningham said he plans to continue his efforts to put pressure on Biola administration to allow for students’ free speech regarding abortion. These efforts include erecting large photos of aborted babies at every entrance to campus and flying 50 foot by 100 foot billboards of abortions at school events beginning in the fall 2013 semester, according to Cunningham in an interview with the Chimes.
CBR plans to invest millions of dollars over several years in their quest to allow pictures of abortion to be shown publicly on campus, he said. Cunningham added that the reason administration refuses to do so is to preserve its image.
“Biola has become a business, and showing abortion photos is bad for business,” Cunningham said. “[In Biola’s view,] upsetting students is a greater evil than allowing innocent babies to die.”
VIDEO POSTED DESPITE WARNING FROM CAMPUS SAFETY CHIEF
The announcement comes almost four weeks after Jimenez and a group of students were asked to take down posters depicting aborted babies in front of the Student Union Building on May 8.
Jimenez then returned alone to campus on May 17 and held up a poster with an image of an 8-week aborted embryo. She then filmed using a camera strapped to her chest, as shown in a photo in the video. Campus Safety chief John Ojeisekhoba tells Jimenez in the video that she did not have permission to display the poster on campus, after Ojeisekhoba spoke with associate dean of students Matthew Hooper over the phone.
The video is edited to juxtapose a speech given by President Barry Corey about courage and conviction with the confrontation between Jimenez and Ojeisekhoba. Since posting, the video has received over 5,000 views.
In the video, Ojeisekhoba tells Jimenez that she does not have his permission to tape and that if the footage was posted, he would take legal action. Cunningham says that he is responsible posting the video to YouTube, according to a press release from CBR cited in an a pro-life blog post.
“[Jimenez] didn’t post this video. I, Gregg Cunningham, did, and I welcome any criminal or civil action the chief wishes to pursue,” Cunningham said in the release.
PRO-LIFE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTIVE OF STUDENT
Prior to the May 17 incident, Cunningham pledged his support to Jimenez and encouraged her to refuse to be intimidated by Biola’s administration in an email posted to CBR’s website.
“We will film your arrest if they go that route and post it all over the Internet. If they don’t punish you, however, the cover-up will end and serious abortion education will suddenly become possible,” wrote Cunningham in the email. “We will get you the best lawyers if necessary and I assure we will stand with you all the way.”
ISSUE IS ONE OF POLICY
Biola University released a statement on June 5 addressing the situation. Although Jimenez was denied permission to show the graphic abortion images on campus, she was told that she could share information through alternative methods on campus, according to the press release.
“Even after multiple discussions with Student Development personnel, the student continued to disregard these discussions, chose to violate peaceful assembly policies, baited our Campus Safety officers, filmed when asked to stop, and continued her attempt to display these images on campus,” Biola University Communications and Marketing wrote in the release.
