College facing lawsuit over constitution handouts

A college in the region is being sued by a student and two others who say they were arrested while peacefully distributing copies of the U.S. Constitution.

A lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court accuses Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek of violating free speech rights and other protections. A group called Young Americans for Liberty is also a plaintiff.

Michelle Gregoire says she was told she needed permission to distribute written materials.

The lawsuit says Kellogg Community College allows "expressive activity" only at an information table in the Student Center.

Gregoire and others were arrested last fall while talking to students outside the performing arts center and then locked in jail for hours. The prosecutor dropped the case.

The college said it will review the allegations in the lawsuit.