The Office of Student Affairs at ASU West is investigating a report filed by West Express that 3,000 copies of the newspaper were stolen from the campus one week ago.
The newspapers, which are distributed every Wednesday, were reported missing in the early afternoon, said James Garcia, student media director of West Express.
A student reportedly saw someone walking around campus and picking up the papers, Garcia said.
"Someone clearly stole them," he added.
The incident is still under investigation, but the West Express has accused the ASASUW president and members of student government of taking the papers.
ASASUW President Jessi Damita Pederson said the allegations were false and she had nothing to do with the missing newspapers.
"We've had issues with the newspaper in the past," Pederson said. "All this is speculation."
Wednesday's edition of the newspaper featured a satirical photograph of Pederson attached to puppet strings being held by former ASASUW president Saif Al-alawi, said Eric Johnson, editor in chief of West Express.
"It was clearly a parody," Johnson said.
Pederson said she did not take the photograph seriously.
"I laughed when I saw it," Pederson said. "I have it posted in my room."
Johnson said ASASUW, an active participant in the New Voters Project, may have had a motive to take the newspapers because they were upset with them over an article they printed about a voter registration drive.
The article reported that some students who signed up to vote were never registered.
"They probably thought it shed a bad light on them, but we were just telling the story," Johnson said. "USG is very sensitive about stories that criticize them."
But Pederson said the reason some students weren't registered was because they signed up after the voter registration deadline.
Garcia said the theft is a violation of freedom of the press.
"The whole idea is that someone has taken it upon themselves to forcibly silence something they don't approve of," Garcia said.
The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the only dean of student affairs who is not associated with student government, Lucia Wilson, said Steve Des Georges, director of public affairs at ASU West.
"We're taking this investigation very seriously," Des Georges said.
A panel at ASU West will hold a public discussion about freedom of the press Monday and a meeting between USG officials and the newspaper administration is scheduled for next week.
Pederson said she hopes the meeting will improve the relationship between ASASUW and the West Express.
"I hope to get a productive relationship with them," Pederson said. "We both share the same objective of serving the students."
Reach the reporter at: natalie.i.hayes@asu.edu.
