Higher education committee questions award given by University of Minnesota

Rep. Marion Rarick (R-Maple Lake) did not hold back Thursday.

The chair of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee vehemently questioned a University of Minnesota award given last month to Communities United Against Police Brutality.

“This isn't just a community award. This is not just about a community, this is about a systemic, inflammatory attack against law enforcement that are trying to protect the students of the state of Minnesota,” she said. “I could not be more disgusted with what has come out from this hearing. I cannot believe that the University of Minnesota is aligned with a group like this, and others apparently, that teach our students this type of activism, this type of hate.”

No action was taken by the committee.

The University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Partner Award, which has been given out since 1999 recognizes faculty, staff, students and university affiliate community members or partners who, by devoting their time, talents and expertise to serve the public good, have made significant demonstratable and direct contributions to society 's well-being.

Amber Cameron, director of public engagement initiatives at the University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement, fields questions from members of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee Jan. 23. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)

A selection committee reviews nominees for the award and Amber Cameron, director for public engagement initiatives at the University of Minnesota, said the selection committee noted that the nomination application for Communities United Against Police Brutality Award documented long-standing partnership work with the University of Minnesota, primarily through student learning.

She cited a recent example of university students working with the organization to collect data and draft a white paper that led to the 2022 passage of Travis’ Law that requires 911 dispatchers to deflect mental health crisis calls directly to mental health teams. Due to the organization 's impact on student learning over the past two decades, the selection committee determined that the application fulfilled the award criteria, according to Cameron.

It's the second time Communities United Against Police Brutality has received the award.

Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said the all-volunteer organization has existed for 25 years.

 “Throughout our history, we have worked with students from a number of schools including the University of Minnesota,” she wrote in a letter to the committee. “We take our commitment to teaching students how to engage with the community very seriously and work hard to ensure their experience with us is educational and valuable. As a result, we have won a number of local and regional awards for our work with students.”

However, Brian Peters, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, whose members include the University of Minnesota Police Department, testified that it was inappropriate for the university to partner on an award with the organization.

“Communities United Against Police Brutality is an extremist organization that spreads misleading and harmful narratives about law enforcement,” Peters said. “They create an atmosphere where students are led to believe all police officers are inherently racist, encouraging them to side with criminals instead of supporting law enforcement.”

Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, the university cut some ties with the Minneapolis Police Department.