(Still legally allowed to write things, for now.)
At Mt. San Antonio College, where the budget is tight but the Gucci is tighter, satire is apparently more dangerous than actual misconduct. I should know … I wrote some.

On May 1, SAC Media published my article, “Gucci Gang President: Drip or Dystopia?”, a satirical take on the optics of designer fashion during a time when students are losing resources faster than administrators are racking up luxury branded headshots with a $342,500 a year budget.

The goal? Start a conversation. What I got instead was a comment section ambush from Mt. SAC’s very own Head of Public Relations and Marketing, Jill Dolan, who accused me of political bias, cowardice, and sexism. All from her personal Instagram account.

But satire, it seems, is only funny when it’s printed on a PR-approved T-shirt.

Instead of engaging in constructive dialogue, Dolan decided to respond with all the professionalism of a Facebook aunt spiraling in a comment thread. Keep in mind, she has a BA in Journalism, shouldn’t she know better?

Dolan comments:

“This isn’t satire. It’s a straight-up political opinion column.”

“If you are going to criticize or make pointed comments, don’t hide behind a disclaimer.”

Apparently, it’s not enough to control the school’s public image, you also have to police the student press for crimes of tone? Never mind that I used a disclaimer to clarify the use of satire (a legal and historically revered tool of dissent). According to Dolan, I wasn’t writing, I was hiding. Because nothing says transparency like shaming student journalists from your private account while holding an official campus title, right?

And then came the REAL kicker:

“Would you make the same criticism of a male president if he were rocking a Rolex or Hugo Boss suit?”

Ahhh yes, the time tested strategy. Accuse the student journalist of sexism for critiquing luxury optics in a time of financial hardship. This misdirection tactic is a favorite in the PR world. When you can’t defend the actions, question the character. Spin the satire into the mud. Modify the critique into a personal vendetta. Turn free speech into an offense.

I guess the real issue isn’t that our school looks like it’s run by a Vogue editorial team during a budget crisis, it’s that my satire apparently didn’t include enough gender equity in its roast.

But this isn’t Dolan’s first narrative rodeo with our publication.

In an interview I did with Adam Young, the former Editor-in-Chief of SAC Media, he described a strikingly similar experience, only his reporting wasn’t about Gucci, but about Palestinian academic censorship and campus protest. Young covered a professor panel canceled after being labeled antisemitic, and followed up with coverage of a student protest that gained campus-wide attention. What came next? A cold text from Dolan:

“Are the pro-Chavez students aware that he saluted Hitler in his class? Talk about feeling unsafe.”

No context. No solid evidence. Just the nuclear option. Adam asked for proof. She replied:

“I do. I have an email from a student who said so. Apparently he’s also dressed in a Nazi uniform.”
And then the classic PR clause:
“I’m trusting you to keep what I’m telling you as background and giving you an angle to investigate.”

The ol’ “I trust you… to repeat what I want” play. A not-so-subtle suggestion to redirect the story. Call it damage control disguised as investigative encouragement.

Young did his job and talked to the professor, fact-checked the allegations, and concluded the alleged Nazi salute was taken out of context. It was a visual demonstration from a history lecture, not a real endorsement of fascism. But the intent was clear: Dolan wasn’t offering context, she was seeding a narrative.

Just like she did to me.

Here’s what protects us, just in case someone in the admin building forgot:
The First Amendment – viewpoint discrimination and retaliation are violations, even if the attacks come from a “personal” account.

California Constitution, Article I, Section 2(a) – even stronger protections for free speech than the federal level.

California Ed Code § 66301 – guarantees public college students can’t be punished for protected speech, even when it challenges power.
(And yes, that includes satire, criticism, and using words like “Gucci” without it being an attack on the administration)

Dolan’s response wasn’t just petty, it was institutional. She may have typed it from her personal account, but her title followed every word. When the Head of PR publicly undermines student reporting, it sends a message louder than any headline: “We control the narrative.”

Here’s the thing tho..

We don’t work for PR. We work for the truth.

And the truth is, students deserve to question authority without being gaslit on Instagram. Journalism is not PR’s playground. It’s not an extension of the school brand. It’s the one space on campus that’s supposed to make people in power uncomfortable. That’s the job.

If satire rattles the press team more than budget cuts and guns rattle your students, what does that say about your institution?

All jokes aside, here’s my personal take and reasoning behind this article. And let’s be extremely fu*king clear:. NO, this is not a personal hit piece on Jill Dolan.

One word: Principle

Is some silly little IG comments THAT serious. No. This could easily just be brushed off our shoulders and moved on to the next. I have tough skin, I’ve dealt with worse. But given the climate of everything going on politically, protecting First Amendment Rights is so critical. After hearing that this has been an issue in the past, when will it stop? When will they be held accountable? Will future Mt. SAC journalism students be afraid to write articles in fear of admin backlash? When will it be okay to hold people in power to the fire?

I am writing this piece to set the precedent for my current journalism staff and the ones in the future, to be able to exercise their rights, know that free speech is protected, and report on school issues without fear of retaliation on condemnation from the institution.

Fight for your rights and stand up for what you believe in.
So, no, I’m NOT hiding behind disclaimers. I’m standing in front of constitutional rights. And no amount of Gucci drip, public spin, or “concerned” text messages will change that.
You want good PR? Start by respecting the press.

Because if your biggest threat is a student with a WordPress login and a Celsius addiction, maybe the problem isn’t the headline. It’s hypocrisy.

So, Jill, if you’re reading this, (and let’s be honest, you are) this isn’t an attack. It’s a record. Built on facts, receipts, and student voices. One you can’t control.

You don’t get to rewrite this narrative … you’ve already given me the headline.
Stay suspicious, stay sarcastic, and most importantly—stay SAC’d up. “Allegedly” reporting live from under a desk and hiding behind a disclaimer in building 26, this has been your favorite certified SAC-tivist in journalism.

xoxo,
Morgan Sayfe