Long Beach City College: Administrators Investigate Student Journalist

In May 2026, student journalist Paloma Maciel interviewed a campus official after learning about alleged irregularities in a student government election. The next month, she was accused of engaging in aggressive, harassing behavior for that interview. A cursory review would have shown Maciel engaged in only protected expression, but LBCC summoned Maciel to a mandatory meeting anyway. While the school removed the threat of discipline and ended the investigation, this approach to resolving campus issues chills students’ speech. On July 27, FIRE wrote LBCC, encouraging them to reconsider their practices to prevent future chilling of protected free expression.