Eliott Peacock considers himself an academic conscientious objector, laboring in self-imposed exile from Capitol Hill's Seattle Central Community College (SCCC). During the 2001 winter quarter, Peacock, 27, was the editor of the school's City Collegian. Today, using a meticulously organized three-ring white binder, Peacock spends his time cataloguing his ongoing battle with the Collegian's faculty advisor, Professor Vikram Kapur. Peacock says Kapur censored an important story, and, in the ensuing standoff, school administrators trampled Peacock's student rights.

Indexed in the front of Peacock's binder are the facts of a news story that Kapur killed last January: Collegian staff members are grossly underpaid when compared to their counterparts at the college's other campuses. Student services allocations for the Collegian's staff for 2000 to 2001 was a meager $6,000, compared to $25,920 and $15,078 at the north and south campuses, respectively.

As editor in chief, Peacock found that newsworthy. Kapur did not. "I was actively discouraged, over and over again in conversations with [Kapur], from writing the article," Peacock says. Unable to publish his findings, Peacock nevertheless decided the story deserved further attention.

Correspondence with student journalists at the other campuses, careful readings of SCCC policy, and his own experience as an editor for two quarters led Peacock to the conclusion that students at the Collegian were underpaid because, unlike students at South Seattle Community College and North Seattle Community College, Peacock and his colleagues had no say in the newspaper's budget. The budget was written entirely by Kapur. That's not kosher. Because the Collegian budget is based on student fees, district policy No. 345 mandates that students be involved in the budget processes "from inception to adoption."

Smoking gun in hand, Peacock approached Campus Complaints Officer Lexie Evans. Evans advised Peacock to settle his complaints with Kapur directly, and offered no mediation. A quick look at the student handbook convinced Peacock that Evans' hands-off approach did not follow protocol because school policy dictates that the complaints officer provide mediation.

Still unpublished, and now without administration support, Peacock turned to the student leadership. On March 1, Peacock, joined by 17 student journalists, brought a list of grievances concerning the management of the Collegian to the Associated Student Council. The ASC, hoping to stay out of the fray, didn't take sides.

Ironically, the ASC's inaction fueled the dispute. Collegian staff members say that while they were placing an article about the ASC decision in the paper, an infuriated Kapur came into the office inquiring about it. "Don't keep lying to me," he allegedly said, "because you're already in deep shit."

Though Kapur refused to talk to The Stranger--referring us instead to the college's media relations department--Kapur has defended his actions. In a March 5 letter distributed to various deans and student groups, Kapur wrote that he does not "interfere in the content of each section whatsoever."

The 14-page letter also labeled Peacock's complaints "laughable," characterizing the paper as a product of journalism classes and labeling student stipends as a privilege--not a wage. Kapur said he writes the paper's budget accordingly and student input is not solicited. "I don't know of any school where students are entitled to money for meeting course requirements," he wrote. Kapur, a journalist who has taught at SCCC since 1998, compared Peacock's complaints to "McCarthyism."

And though Kapur had recommended Peacock for a national student journalism award as recently as November of last year, the letter also made disparaging comments about Peacock's work as editor.

Peacock viewed the widely distributed response as retaliation for pursuing a simple student news story. Moreover, in writing that story and pursuing the complaints process, Peacock wanted to enhance a mandated student right: the power to write budgets for student services funded by student fees.

Peacock has now filed complaints against Evans and Kapur. Those charges are filed with SCCC's president. On April 25, Peacock forwarded a copy of his white binder--which includes the budget story and his complaints--to the Seattle ACLU.