[Daryl Green]

Our Student Affairs Department has been very proactive in taking the lead on this issue. Their strategy involves deploying staff directly to the locations where these preachers are set up. Their primary goal is to actively engage with the students rather than the speakers.?While this strategy is not perfect, we have found it to be highly effective at “lowering the temperature” between our students and the preachers.

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Daryl Green
Associate Vice President & Chief of Police
University of Alabama – Birmingham
Birmingham AL
United States
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——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2025 21:06
From: Rodney Chatman
Subject: Campus Preachers

We, like many of you, receive frequent visits from the preacher(s) who come to campus and use bullhorns or loudspeakers to pontificate their views for hours. As this behavior is legal, have any of you found any ways or developed any strategies to alleviate the affront that students communicate they are experiencing?

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Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
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[Bryant Jackson]

Rodney,

Like Daryl, we have a team (non-law enforcement, other campus administrators, and student affairs) that will respond to the area as needed. Our institutional policies do not allow for amplified sound without prior approval (no bullhorn use). Normally, once we tell them not to use a bullhorn and not to block the sidewalks, we don’t have issues. Our students, by and large, just keep walking by now.

Bryant?

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Bryant Jackson, Ed.D.
Chief of Police
University of South Dakota
Vermillion SD
United States

3rd Vice President
IACLEA
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2025 21:06
From: Rodney Chatman
Subject: Campus Preachers

We, like many of you, receive frequent visits from the preacher(s) who come to campus and use bullhorns or loudspeakers to pontificate their views for hours. As this behavior is legal, have any of you found any ways or developed any strategies to alleviate the affront that students communicate they are experiencing?

——————————
Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
——————————

[Ross Owens]

Rodney,

The real root of the problem isn’t what they are saying, it’s the intentional disruption they’re causing.? I’m not familiar with your state laws there, but in Illinois we actually have some statutes that help us to some degree.

Feel free to take a look at our expressive activity policy.? We still have to navigate these cautiously, but the speakers have to express their speech within our time, place, and manner guidelines so our educational mission can continue.

Expressive Activity Policy

Uis		remove preview
Expressive Activity Policy Policy Title: University of Illinois Springfield Expressive Activity Policy Policy Owner: UIS Chancellor Responsible Official: UIS Chancellor Approved by: UIS Chancellor by recommendation of the Cabinet Date Approved: 8/23/24 Effective Date: 8/23/24 Targeted Review Date: 9/1/25 Contact: chancellor@uis.edu Related Policies: General Use of and Access to University of Illinois Springfield Property Handling Disruption of Academic or Operational Functions – University of Illinois Springfield I. View this on Uis >

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Ross Owens
Chief of Police
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield IL
United States
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2025 21:06
From: Rodney Chatman
Subject: Campus Preachers

We, like many of you, receive frequent visits from the preacher(s) who come to campus and use bullhorns or loudspeakers to pontificate their views for hours. As this behavior is legal, have any of you found any ways or developed any strategies to alleviate the affront that students communicate they are experiencing?

——————————
Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
——————————

[Katy Potts]

Similarly to what the others have stated, we have a time, place, manner policy in place for expressive activity. Amplified sound is not allowed as it disrupts ‘normal university business’ and allows for them to be asked to stop (Guide to Expressive Activities at Western | Western Washington University). We too have a group from all over the university who have been identified as someone that has the skills to de-escalate situations as needed. Police are a part of the group, but we are the last to be called – when all else fails.? We also will put up signs notifying anyone who is about to walk into the area so they can choose a different path if they want. Usually our students handle it well, unfortunately the most recent visit, two students were cited/arrested for assault.?

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Katy Potts
Chief of Police
Western Washington University
Bellingham WA
United States
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2025 21:06
From: Rodney Chatman
Subject: Campus Preachers

We, like many of you, receive frequent visits from the preacher(s) who come to campus and use bullhorns or loudspeakers to pontificate their views for hours. As this behavior is legal, have any of you found any ways or developed any strategies to alleviate the affront that students communicate they are experiencing?

——————————
Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
——————————

[Rodney Chatman]

First of all, the responses I received demonstrates the amazing IACLEA community that we have ….”Thank you all so much”. The advice I’ve received has been amazing and I will be sharing this with my leadership team.

I did forget to mention that we are a private institution and the preachers set up shop on a public sidewalk, but your responses provided suggestions that can be used in public or private environments.?

Go TEAM!!!

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Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 11-18-2025 10:52
From: Katy Potts
Subject: Campus Preachers

Similarly to what the others have stated, we have a time, place, manner policy in place for expressive activity. Amplified sound is not allowed as it disrupts ‘normal university business’ and allows for them to be asked to stop (Guide to Expressive Activities at Western | Western Washington University). We too have a group from all over the university who have been identified as someone that has the skills to de-escalate situations as needed. Police are a part of the group, but we are the last to be called – when all else fails.  We also will put up signs notifying anyone who is about to walk into the area so they can choose a different path if they want. Usually our students handle it well, unfortunately the most recent visit, two students were cited/arrested for assault. 

——————————
Katy Potts
Chief of Police
Western Washington University
Bellingham WA
United States
——————————

Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2025 21:06
From: Rodney Chatman
Subject: Campus Preachers

We, like many of you, receive frequent visits from the preacher(s) who come to campus and use bullhorns or loudspeakers to pontificate their views for hours. As this behavior is legal, have any of you found any ways or developed any strategies to alleviate the affront that students communicate they are experiencing?

——————————
Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
——————————

[Phillip Tyler]

Hello, Rodney. Always good to hear from you, my friend.

As for Gonzaga, we are a private university, so we have some leeway. We have a policy which states, in part:

Gonzaga makes no active attempts to proselytize these individuals through its programs or sponsored activities. Similarly, Gonzaga University does not allow any individual or organization to proselytize using facilities, programs, or activities controlled by Gonzaga. ?No individual or organization, either internal or external to Gonzaga, may sponsor activities on campus that have the express purpose of proselytization, which is to make converts of members of Gonzaga community to join another church or religious affiliation. Gonzaga reserves the right to limit or restrict the on-campus activities of any organization or individual whose purposes are contrary to Gonzaga’s religious or ethical values.?

——————————
Phillip Tyler
Associate Director Campus Security and Public Safety
Gonzaga University
Spokane WA
United States
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2025 21:06
From: Rodney Chatman
Subject: Campus Preachers

We, like many of you, receive frequent visits from the preacher(s) who come to campus and use bullhorns or loudspeakers to pontificate their views for hours. As this behavior is legal, have any of you found any ways or developed any strategies to alleviate the affront that students communicate they are experiencing?

——————————
Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management
Brown University
Providence RI
United States
——————————