A visit by the Freedom Truck Mobile Museum, which is part of the Freedom 250 celebration, was called off by the Westfield Police Department last week after Westfield State University rescinded its initial invitation to host it in a parking lot on its campus.
Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense
WESTFIELD — The Westfield Police Department decided not to host the Freedom Truck Mobile Museum last week after Westfield State University rescinded its initial decision to allow the tractor-trailer to park in the south parking lot on its campus.
“It seemed like a good thing to do,” said Police Capt. Eric Hall, when describing why the department originally reached out to the Freedom 250 organization that operates a fleet of six state-of-the-art 18-wheelers.
The department has been planning for its annual Public Safety Night, which will be held on June 18 at the Old Juniper Park School, and several officers thought having the truck there would be an excellent addition to the event.
“We thought it was a federal program … so we thought it would be cool to be at Public Safety Night,” Hall said.
The only challenge was finding a place where it could be parked.
“They had very strict parameters on where to park it,” Hall said.
Those parameters include a parking footprint 140 feet long and 65 feet wide, placement on a paved or concrete surface, and a route that is clear of obstructions to allow the truck to navigate safely.
The department began looking for a space that fit those requirements, and there was nothing in the city that qualified except for the parking lots of several of the city’s public schools.
“We couldn’t use those because the students are still in school,” he said.
Then, the south parking lot on the campus of Westfield State University was identified as an excellent lot to use.
Hall said officers with the Community Policing Unit contacted the WSU Police Department to ask if it was possible to use the lot.
“They ran it up their chain of command,” Hall said, adding that a day or so later, the department was told it could use it.
With space for the truck secured and available June 14-16, the department announced on its Facebook page that the truck would stop in the city.
“Almost immediately, we were getting comments that it was a partisan initiative,” Hall said.
The primary concern from those comments online was that the truck was aligned with PragerU, which, according to its website, “is not an accredited university, nor do we claim to be. We don’t offer degrees, but we do provide educational, entertaining, pro-American videos for every age.”
PragerU also states on its website that “Marxists have intentionally infiltrated our educational institutions, seeking to impose their radical ideology on our students and transform our classrooms into social justice factories.”
PragerU partnered with Hillsdale College, a small Christian school in Michigan, to create the exhibits in the truck.
The Freedom Truck Mobile Museum is a public-private initiative made possible by a $14 million grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to Freedom 250, which is a wholly owned subsidiary and limited liability company created by and housed inside the National Park Foundation.
The IMLS is an independent agency of the federal government. It is the primary source of federal funding and support for the nation’s approximately 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums.
Responding to the backlash, Hall said the department released a statement saying its participation wasn’t “condoning any type of partisan event.”
“We are completely neutral,” Hall said on June 9.
He then got a phone call from WSU President Dr. Linda Thompson, who he said had “legitimate questions” about the possibility of vandalism or even political violence.
Hall pointed to the No King rallies and rallies supporting President Donald Trump that have been held regularly over the last year or so on Park Square and on East Main Street. He said there have been no issues other than a few folks honking horns or making offensive hand gestures.
He said he told Thompson that if “you don’t want to host it, let me know.”
Her response was that she “would defer to your judgement,” he said.
Seconds later, Hall got a call from the chief of the WSU Police Department letting him know the university “no longer wanted” to host the truck.
When WSU was contacted to comment on the situation, it responded in an unsigned email: “Westfield State University’s role was limited to providing a venue for the event organized by the Westfield Police Department. The decision to cancel the event was made by the event organizers, and the University respects that decision.
“The University appreciates the interest expressed by members of the campus and broader community and remains focused on its educational mission and service to the region,” the email continued.
With that, Hall said another attempt had been made to find a spot in the city to host it, but none could be found.
That was when the department posted on its Facebook page that the event had been called off, without including WSU’s involvement in its decision.
Police Chief Jerome Pitoniak wanted to stress that the department has a “great relationship” with the university.
“Westfield State has always been a good partner. They do a lot for us,” he said, adding that it has regularly hosted the Regional Police Cadet program and academies.
Hall said the truck will set up at The Big E and be open for tours during the fair.
