As tensions continue to rise between Howard Community College’s administration and its full-time faculty union, the union has accused campus leaders of unfair labor practices through enforcement of an updated protest policy.

The American Federation of Teachers, which has represented full-time faculty for 18 months, filed two complaints against the college in February, alleging that it improperly dispersed an indoor union protest, removed pro-union posters from the office walls and windows of faculty, and threatened disciplinary action against professors who didn’t comply with the rules.

College administrators cited a policy governing free speech and peaceful assembly that was adopted by the board of trustees last August. But the union is asking the Maryland Public Employee Relations Board board to direct HCC to cease and desist from “discriminatory enforcement of any policy against employees engaging in protected concerted activities,” as well as “retaliatory and discriminatory actions” against such individuals.

The AFT is also asking the board to rescind the newly adopted policy, which it says restricts free speech and the right to gather on campus, according to copies of the complaints obtained by The Baltimore Banner.

“HCC has continued to use its Speech Policy and Solicitations Policy to suppress union speech and protected concerted activities, and to retaliate against employees engaging in protected concerted activities and to chill employees engagement in protected concerted activities,” the union says in a Feb. 14 complaint.

Jarrett Carter Sr., a college spokesperson, declined to comment on the complaints, referring a reporter to the minutes of the Aug. 28 board meeting at which the policy was adopted.

The complaints come as the college administration and the faculty union engage in contract talks, amid ongoing concerns among some faculty, legislators and others about the leadership style of President Daria Willis.

The Baltimore Banner reported in November that two dozen current and former employees and students had described high staff turnover and a toxic culture that they said had negatively affected staff and student services. Faculty and others have also taken to an anonymous online message board to slam the administration since shortly after Willis took the helm over three years ago. Campus leaders have pushed back, alleging a racist undertone to some posts. Willis is the first Black woman to lead the campus.

In August, HCC’s board unanimously approved recommended changes to the free speech and peaceful assembly policy. It’s unclear what prompted the policy changes, though many colleges have been revising such policies in response to protests over the war in Gaza.

The changes adopted last August include renaming the policy from the “Free Speech and Protest” policy to the “Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly Policy.” The board also updated the prohibited activities section of the policy to include building encampments and/or blockades, taking over school grounds and “any activity that interferes with college business, operations, programs or services.”

The policy‘s “time, place and manner” subsection acknowledges that demonstrations or rallies may occur spontaneously, but says they “shall not take place inside college buildings without at least three days explicit prior written authorization by the college president or designee.”

According to the Aug. 28 board agenda items, the policy changes were proposed to “more explicitly address prohibited activities on campus,” as well as to regulate the use of campus facilities in a way to “promote an environment conducive to learning.”

Since the policy was adopted, union members were removed from the campus theater’s lobby in January after gathering to demonstrate ahead of the annual convocation ceremony. Days later, HCC public safety employees unlocked faculty members' offices to remove union posters without professors' knowledge.

The union claims HCC administrators aren’t negotiating in good faith over the inaugural contract. College officials have disputed these claims.

“The college has repeatedly come to the table to negotiate in good faith with the union and will continue to do so as required by law,” Carter said in a February email. “That said, the college will also uphold its policies in a non-discriminatory manner as is clearly stated in its own policies and as mandated by federal and state law.”

In its Feb. 14 complaint, the union criticized Carter for calling out some faculty members for testimony that they delivered at a hearing of the Howard County legislative delegation about issues they faced at the college. The complaint said Carter’s statements accusing some faculty of violating college policy could be viewed as threatening disciplinary action.

The latest complaint also accuses the HCC administration of singling out pro-union materials in its policy enforcement.

The union notes that a week after campus HCC public safety officers removed pro-union signs from faculty office doors, walls and windows, a faculty member was directed by an HCC dean to take down a pro-union poster that had been missed and threatened with disciplinary action if they did not comply.

The complaint asserts that the dean told a faculty member during a virtual meeting on Feb. 13, “I’m gonna confer with my supervisor about the disciplinary action. But my understanding is it falls under the umbrella of insubordination.”

Asked why the poster needed to be removed, the dean said, “The only signage that’s of concern is the specifically [ ] union signage. ... The other signage doesn’t have to come down at this time,” according to the complaint.

On the same day the posters were removed, the college announced that the Circuit Court of Howard County had upheld the state’s public employee relations board’s decision to dismiss a previously filed unfair labor practice complaint against the college. The college said that complaint mainly dealt with implementation of a seven-week course and faculty promotion standards.

Maryland lawmakers have taken note of the turmoil at HCC. Howard County lawmakers are backing a bill to expand the size of the HCC board from seven to nine members, and to bring more transparency to the college. Nominations to fill four vacancies on the board are working their way through the state Senate.