PENN STATE SUED FOR CENSORING ANTI-TERRORISM ART

CONTACT: Lori Lowenthal Marcus DATE: April 18, 2007
LoriLowenthalMarcus@COMCAST.NET. LEAVE A RETURN CALL #

Joshua H. Stulman, the former Penn State art student whose anti-terrorism
artwork was censored by Penn State, and who was labeled a racist
propagandist for Israel by two professors, filed a Complaint in federal
court last night, claiming violations of his First Amendment rights of
freedom of speech and expression and of association, and that he was defamed
by School of Visual Arts Director Charles Garoian.

Stulman created a series of paintings, "Portraits of Terror," to address the
issues of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism in Israel. Each of the
paintings in the series is based on news articles, photographs and
well-documented research.

Penn State officials and the Muslim Student Association advisor who
professed concern about Stulman's work refused Stulman's repeated efforts to
meet with them.

Penn State art professor Robert Yarber, also a named defendant in this
lawsuit, labeled Stulman a racist propagandist who promoted Islamophobia,
and said Israel was a terrorist state that had no right to exist.

Penn State administrator Garoian announced that he cancelled the exhibition
of Stulman's anti-terrorism art exhibit because of Penn State's hate speech
code and its policy on nondiscrimination and harassment. Garoian also
falsely said that Stulman's work was "commissioned" by Penn State Hillel and
that Stulman's artwork was used to advance Hillel's "particular cultural and
political" agenda.

Stulman is seeking damages and injunctive relief.
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