ACLU says UW police spied on activists
SEATTLE -- The University of Washington says it's adding training for its police after the American Civil Liberties Union came forward with further evidence that an officer spied on a student activist group that wasn't breaking any laws.
The ACLU of Washington held a news conference Thursday to reveal information obtained through public disclosure requests. The documents show that an undercover officer monitored two meetings of a group that was planning demonstrations in support of custodial workers at the school.
The officer's superiors praised her work.
"I was shocked, and couldn't believe the UW had sent an undercover police officer to a student organizational meeting," said Salmun Kazerounian.
Documents reveal the same undercover officer who posed as an activist on April 8 was also spying during another student activist meeting just a week prior. According to police documents, she listened in as students planned a rally against proposed UW budget cuts.
UW alum Sarah White remembers her.
"One who introduced herself as 'Tani,' a UW alum still paying off her student loans and concerned about tuition increases for future students," she said.
A week later, students bumped into "Tani," and her cover was exposed.
"This time she was Officer Tanesha van Leuven of the UW Police Department, and she was stepping into her police car dressed in her uniform," said Kazerounian.
University Vice President Eric Godfrey said the issue first surfaced last spring and the administration made clear it does not support unjustified surveillance of students. He said he's instructed the UW Police Department to make clear to officers that such activity may only be conducted as part of criminal investigations.
"It was not consistent with university policy, and the way we do policing work and it's certainly not the way we relate to our students," said university spokesman Norm Arkans.
But the students and ACLU, who uncovered the second surveillance incident want even more assurances. The ACLU says the spying is troubling, especially in light of other instances of political activists being harassed and infiltrated by police and the military in the region.
"We are calling on the UW administration to take action to ensure that campus police are prevented from further surveillance of lawful political activities of its students, faculty and staff," said Kathleen Taylor, executive director of the ACLU.
"We feel we addressed this issue absent some extreme circumstance," Arkans said. "This is not going to happen again."
The former students and the ACLU are calling on lawmakers to pass a state law that would make political and religious surveillance illegal without suspicion of criminal activity. The city of Seattle has had a similar ordinance in place for decades.
The ACLU of Washington held a news conference Thursday to reveal information obtained through public disclosure requests. The documents show that an undercover officer monitored two meetings of a group that was planning demonstrations in support of custodial workers at the school.
The officer's superiors praised her work.
"I was shocked, and couldn't believe the UW had sent an undercover police officer to a student organizational meeting," said Salmun Kazerounian.
Documents reveal the same undercover officer who posed as an activist on April 8 was also spying during another student activist meeting just a week prior. According to police documents, she listened in as students planned a rally against proposed UW budget cuts.
UW alum Sarah White remembers her.
"One who introduced herself as 'Tani,' a UW alum still paying off her student loans and concerned about tuition increases for future students," she said.
A week later, students bumped into "Tani," and her cover was exposed.
"This time she was Officer Tanesha van Leuven of the UW Police Department, and she was stepping into her police car dressed in her uniform," said Kazerounian.
University Vice President Eric Godfrey said the issue first surfaced last spring and the administration made clear it does not support unjustified surveillance of students. He said he's instructed the UW Police Department to make clear to officers that such activity may only be conducted as part of criminal investigations.
"It was not consistent with university policy, and the way we do policing work and it's certainly not the way we relate to our students," said university spokesman Norm Arkans.
But the students and ACLU, who uncovered the second surveillance incident want even more assurances. The ACLU says the spying is troubling, especially in light of other instances of political activists being harassed and infiltrated by police and the military in the region.
"We are calling on the UW administration to take action to ensure that campus police are prevented from further surveillance of lawful political activities of its students, faculty and staff," said Kathleen Taylor, executive director of the ACLU.
"We feel we addressed this issue absent some extreme circumstance," Arkans said. "This is not going to happen again."
The former students and the ACLU are calling on lawmakers to pass a state law that would make political and religious surveillance illegal without suspicion of criminal activity. The city of Seattle has had a similar ordinance in place for decades.