COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State University law student Candace Milner said there is no reason Columbus police should be on OSU's campus.
"We have a duty to stand up, speak out," Milner told other Ohio State law students during a sit-in Friday demanding the university sever its ties with Columbus police over alleged police brutality against the Black community, and that it support a request for a federal investigation of the Columbus police.
About 40 law students and others gathered for the sit-in on the second floor of Drinko Hall in front of the door to the office of the law school's dean.
The students want Lincoln Davies, the dean of Ohio State's Moritz College of Law, to publicly support their demands. They are:
—That Ohio State police immediately cease contractual agreements with Columbus police for on-campus investigations, services and events.
—That OSU lobbies the city to implement alternatives to policing for traffic stops and for campus events and football games.
—That OSU cease mutual aid service contracts with Columbus police, and identifies resources to restrict Columbus police presence in off-campus areas.
—That the university no longer accepts federal money for military-type police resources, and reallocate funds that would be used for further militarization to student support resources such as the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Student Life Multicultural Center, Student Life Counseling and Consultation Services, and the Student Life Student Wellness Center.
—That Ohio State create a plan with student input that confirms a commitment to Black student safety.
—That the university acknowledges "the systemic issue of anti-Black violence perpetuated by the Columbus Police Department.”
The students also want the dean to support calls for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Columbus police, as Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty have done.
"We are done," said Kendall Beard, 23, of Dallas, a first-year law student, treasurer of the Black Law Student Association and one of the sit-in's organizers. "We will continue to raise hell."
Julie Howard, a first-year law student, said it's important for everyone to feel safe on campus.
"If the Black community is feeling unsafe, we have to address that — the law school and the university," said Howard, 23, who is white and from Syracuse, New York.
In an emailed statement, Davies said the Moritz College of Law "strives to create an educational environment that values and celebrates diverse opinions and encourages civic engagement and robust dialogue. This is a core function of a law school in society.
"The local and national conversations about policing, safety and racial justice are long overdue," he said. "I have reached out to the Black Law Student Association and am committed to continuing this important conversation and to advancing concrete action to improve society and ensure safety and equality here on campus."
Ohio State students have been involved in a number of protests since then-MInneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd almost a year ago. Chauvin was convicted of all three counts against him, including the most serious charge of second-degree murder.
But Milner, a second-year law student and member of the Black Law Student Association, said Columbus police still don't understand accountability.
"This has been going on for decades," said Milner, 26, of Columbus.
On April 21, about 500 students marched to the Ohio Statehouse making similar demands that university leaders cut OSU's ties to Columbus police after police Officer Nicholas Reardon shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant while she was swinging a knife at a young woman in a driveway.
"We hope to lift Ma'Khia Bryant," Milner said. "She should still be alive today."
Milner said creating good jobs so people wouldn't have to steal and and creating a robust foster care system are among a number of things that would help reduce the need for police. Bryant was in foster care.
As they sat at Drinko Hall, students called out, "It is our destiny to fight for our freedom," and, "We have nothing to lose but our chains," as well as "Black Lives Matter."
