Brian Jeffries said the forum that was created to work on the bylaws for the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees worked diligently on them.

“This subcommittee worked for six months and with the board and administration to protect the First Amendment Rights,” the board chairman said.

Their hard work became reality when the board of trustees voted in the bylaws unanimously Tuesday.

Trustee Todd Heywood said he changed his vote when an amendment was made that clarified individuals could speak for the college. He said the unanimous vote only came after the amendment was made to a section dealing with speaking to the press.

Heywood said the original bylaw was not clear enough.

“When a trustee speaks, they are acting as an elected official, not on behalf of the board,” he said.

He said the original wording didn’t specify if other trustees could comment on matters not on behalf of LCC but for themselves.

“It was brought up by chair Jefferies, and I was more than ready to accept it,” he said.

Jefferies said the original wording was not intended to silence any member of the board. He also said by having one spokesperson for LCC, the person can act as a liaison to the press.

“This was much to do about nothing,” he said. “If you read the bylaws they talk about the rights of individual trustees to state opinions.”

Brian Jackson, LCC spokesman, said the board’s previous policies were adopted in 1995.

He said it is also required by state law to have the bylaws.

“They did have policies before and they have been revised over the years,” he said.