One of the country's largest white supremacist organizations distributed fliers at Moorpark College late last month, part of a nationwide effort on college campuses to drum up support.

The hate group, National Alliance, broke school policy when it put the fliers out before getting an authorization. An authorization request would have been denied, officials said Monday.

"We try to teach tolerance and diversity and acceptance of all cultures," said Sharon Miller, director of student activities. "We don't want any campus or public organization to try and disrupt the harmony we have on campus."

The college is celebrating Multicultural Day today.

The white supremacist group, based in West Virginia, has passed out more than 100,000 fliers nationwide in the past few months, according to Mark Potok, spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors hate groups. The group is trying to solicit members to boost dues, Potok said.

"It's a sign of weakness, not strength," he said. "It shows they are desperate."

National Alliance representative did not reply to an e-mail.

Campus officials said they had several complaints about the fliers but were unsure how many were put on car windows late last month. Miller said this was the first time this had happened at the college in her 11 years there.

Fliers approved by the college cannot contain treasonous ideas, pornography, hate material or be written only in a foreign language, Miller said. Because of the racist nature of the National Alliance flier, it would not have been approved, Miller said.

However, if that, or any group, was merely announcing it was having a meeting, it would be approved, Miller said.

"You want to be sure you don't infringe on their First Amendment rights," said Dennis Cabral, the school's executive vice president. "But you don't want to interfere with others' civil rights."