Lane Community College's campus as seen on June 3, 2026.
Rebecca Hansen-White / KLCC
A former student is suing Lane Community College, accusing it of banning him from campus for criticizing the administration and school board over budget cuts.
Richard Riordan graduated high school in 2022 and started attending LCC in 2023, according to his lawsuit. He began emailing the board and speaking during the public comment period in February.
His criticism became more frequent when the board moved forward with plans to cut the Criminal Justice and Health Information Management degree programs. Riordan’s father works as a faculty member in the HIM department.
During meetings and over email, Riordan accused board members of being too focused on their political ambitions and donors, and not being transparent. He also accused administrators of using faulty data to make decisions.
The entire Board of Education and administration have been heavily criticized by students, union leaders and some community members, many of whom strongly opposed recent budget cuts and the college’s decision-making process. LCC has said its support from the state hasn’t kept up with inflation and it needs to rightsize its budget.
In court documents, Riordan said he was asked to meet with campus security in early May. He said they told him to stop sending mass emails and to be careful, which Riordan perceived as a veiled threat.
Riordan continued to use public comment and email board members. In late May, he approached one board member in the parking lot after a meeting. In his lawsuit, Riordan said campus security was present during the conversation and he never threatened any of the board members.
In late June, Riordan received a notice that he was banned from campus for “conduct that has disrupted Lane Community College operations,” according to a copy of the document attached to the lawsuit.
He was also blocked from enrolling in classes.
In court documents, Riordan’s attorney Kevin Brague said LCC expelled Riordan “with a wink and a nod rather than provide him notice and a hearing.” He said Riordan never disrupted meetings or classes, and did not engage in harassment.
His attorney argued the college’s actions were discriminatory and chilled Riordan’s free speech rights. He asked a judge to reverse the ban, order LCC to allow Riordan to enroll and award him attorneys’ fees and monetary damages.
In a statement, Lane Community College spokesperson Jenna McCulley said the college cannot comment on specific allegations because of pending litigation. She said LCC disputes Riordan’s claims, saying it has a responsibility to protect the safety of the campus community.
“As a public institution of higher education, Lane Community College values the free exchange of ideas and the right of individuals to express differing perspectives, including criticism of the college,” McCulley said. “In this instance, when requested, the individual was provided an opportunity to participate remotely in public comment, allowing their perspective to be heard while maintaining safe and orderly college operations.”
Riordan’s attorney said he had no additional comment at this time.
Lane Community College holds the license for KLCC but has no part in KLCC’s editorial process and does not review news content before publication. This story was edited by an outside editor from the Northwest News Network.
Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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