Students, Administrators and City Officials Meet, Discuss Local Tensions

In an effort to address the tense student-police relations in Collegetown regarding the City of Ithaca Noise Ordinance, Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson assembled a group to discuss the issue. In attendance were Ed Vallely, the new Ithaca Police Chief, Nancy Schuler (D-4th Ward), Mary Tomlan ’71 (D-3rd Ward), Svante Myrick ’09 (D-4th Ward) and Student Assembly President Ryan Lavin ’09.

According to Peterson, she called the meeting after Lavin ’09,came to a Common Council meeting to address the problems with the noise ordinance and deteriorating student-police relations.

According to the City of Ithaca Noise Ordinance, a noise violation can be issued when a party or social event produces disruptive noise that carries at least 25 feet.

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Christian Evangelist Sues Over Noise Violation

Suit outcome could affect Collegetown residents

The City of Ithaca’s noise ordinance, which has recently been a source of tension between students living in Collegetown and the Ithaca Police Department, is being challenged for its constitutionality in federal court.

Syracuse resident James Deferio, a traveling Christian evangelist, filed a lawsuit against Ithaca last week, claiming that the city’s noise ordinance violated his First Amendment right to free speech and his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process.

Deferio alleged that while he was preaching his message on the Ithaca Commons in August, an Ithaca Police officer approached him and “explained that Deferio would have to lower his voice or stop speaking, because his voice could be heard 25 feet away,” which violates a City noise ordinance.

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