Monday, November 17, 2008

Suing Students

This is a most interesting story. Talk about a chilling effect.

After you’ve been called racist by some students, can you sue to get your reputation back?...

“When I started teaching 10 years ago, I thought universities were the quintessential market place of ideas. I was so naïve, and so, so wrong,” he said. “It’s not an open market place of ideas — I hope we can get back to that notion because our society desperately needs places where we can have truly free discussion. I just can’t say I see that in the American university today.”

The demands for Peltz to be punished and removed from teaching required courses came from the Black Law Student Association at Little Rock and from a local group of black lawyers — groups whose leaders Peltz sued and who did not respond to requests for comment either now or when the suit was filed. The complaints concerned a series of class discussions in his constitutional law course that touched in some way or another on race or affirmative action. The complaints started after Peltz participated in a campus debate on affirmative action — at the invitation of the black law students’ group — and argued against it.

I have some experience with false accusations by students and parents. Perhaps I should resort to a lawsuit....

6 comments:

Eric W. said...

Racist.

Anonymous said...

Darren

This seems to be a money making opportunity….and remember the First Rule of Acquisition. “Once you have their money you never give it back.”

Anonymous said...

Part of the reason charges of racism are thrown around so promiscuously is that there are no repercussions.

It's the sort of thing that's emblematic of the left, and a good part of their attraction, in that there's the sensation of accomplishment without the hard work, or in this case, the pretense of courageously confronting evil without any of the danger of confronting real evil.

W said...

As a college student I would agree the years of an open education that allows all people to speak and open debate to happen are over and have been for a long time. In many of my classes if you do not agree with the majority of the class population and you dare voice your opinion you are looked down upon by the rest of the students. In my opinion we would all get better educations if everyone professors and students alike could say what they felt, followed by open honest debate.

Ellen K said...

Our colleges and schools are not open forums for ideas. I guess we could argue that they never have been. All I know is that I felt compelled to keep my political views silent, while more liberal teachers taught theirs as part of the class.

Anonymous said...

I've actually been called 'a racist' by both Hispanic and black students, because of my standards and rules, and responded that I would sue them for defamation if they continued with those accusations, right there in the presence of my administrator.
Their parents immediately backed up off of me and the conspiring ended.
I work in a school were a significant number of families are 'under the radar' and most of their name-calling is used not accept responsibility and to intimidate teachers.
Some teachers just don't know their rights, and you don't need the union to exercise them.