Posted on 03/26/2013 9:20:08 AM PDT by Kaslin
Florida Atlantic University has issued a formal apology to a student that was facing academic charges after he complained about a professor who ordered the class to write the name “Jesus” and then stomp on the pieces of paper.
Ryan Rotela, a student at FAU, was accused of violating the student code of conduct after he reported his instructor to university administrators. He was removed from the class, ordered not to contact fellow students, and was facing possible suspension or expulsion – pending the outcome of a student hearing.
But after a massive national outcry, the university reversed course Monday afternoon and cleared the devout Mormon student of all accusations.
“There will be no punishment,” said Hiram Sasser, Rotela’s attorney. “They are wiping the record clean for Ryan. They are reinstating him for a plan to complete the course without that professor.”
Sasser, the director of litigation for the Liberty Institute, told Fox News that the university was deeply apologetic.
“The university apologized profusely,” Sasser said. “One of the university officials told us lots of people were offended by the assignment and they were very sorry about that.”
Corey King, the university’s dean of students, told Fox News they could not comment on the specifics of the Rotela incident – but reiterated their remorse for the offensive class assignment.
“First and foremost, we are deeply sorry for any hurt regarding this incident, any insensitivity that may have been seen by the community and the greater community at large,” King said. “We are deeply sorry.”
While King could not speak directly to Rotela’s standing at the university he did say that “upon reflection, the university has decided not to move forward with any disciplinary action against any student regarding this matter.”
The class in question was taught by Deandre Poole, who also happens to be vice chair of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party.
“Have the students write the name JESUS in big letters on a piece of paper,” the lesson reads. “Ask the students to stand up and put the paper on the floor in front of them with the name facing up. Ask the students to think about it for a moment. After a brief period of silence instruct them to step on the paper. Most will hesitate. Ask why they can’t step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture.”
King said it was obvious the lesson caused “hurt and pain” within the community and within the university’s population.
“As a result, we feel it’s necessary to no longer offer this assignment or activity,” he said. “We did not anticipate the hurt and pain it would cause in the community.
As for Poole’s future at the university – King said he could not comment on employment matters.
“We embrace academic freedom – but that comes with responsibility and we recognize that the activity at that time was insensitive,” he said.
Sasser said university officials emphasized that Poole is an untenured professor.
“Someone at Florida Atlantic University was able to look at the issues and realize the professor had done a great offense – not only to Ryan – but to many people across the country,” Sasser said.
Rotela told Fox News he was satisfied with the university’s handling of the incident.
“It was good that they apologized and realized what they did was wrong,” he said.
He was also thankful for the outpouring of support from the nations’ Christian community.
“I have two words – thank you,” he said. “If it wasn’t for all the Christians and the open-minded people who decided to call the university – I would be sitting in a room getting punished, getting sanctioned from the school and getting expelled from the university.”
Sasser said the outcome of Rotela’s case should serve as a lesson for other Americans facing religious persecution.
“It just takes one person to stand up against this type of aggressive nonsense,” he told Fox News. “It also takes like-minded people standing together to say we are not going to tolerate this type of religious bigotry.”
“When we all stand together – we win,” Sasser added.
On second reading, I'm not sure.
If you read the original stories from last week, they all say that the professor "made" students stomp on the paper, and that this student was brought up on charges after complaining to the professor's supervisor.
The original stories include the part about how "Most will hesitate. Ask why they can't step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture." Some stories go on to say that some students did so, others did not. What the articles do not say is what the professor did afterwards: did he lead them in the discussion or pressure them to stomp on the paper.
The articles only say that this student went to administrators a few days later to express his outrage, and that he was then suspended and brought up on charges of not following the professor.
It seems that the student did what the exercise expected: he refused to stomp and then discussed his reasons why. It was the separate act of complaining that the exercise overall was offensive that got him suspended. It is not clear from the stories what the professor did when the student refused and discussed. It is not clear whether the student was suspended for refusing a follow-up to stomp, or if it was retaliation for exposing the exercise and the school to public outcry.
-PJ
“This instructor should have been fired for this - tenure or no tenure. Our schools are a place of learning alright, learning all the wrong things.”
He only has the rank of instructor, so it is highly unlikely that he has tenure.
He has “Angry Black Man” down cold.
And there is the heart of the cult of communism. The greater community at large is their morality. Why else would you have such a demonstration?
Pray for America
It doesn’t say how many students refused to step on the paper. But isn’t it sad that only one person complained.
And what’s the deal that a student breaks a “code” if they complain about a professor? If some male professor offers a female student a good grade in exchange for sex, would the student be in violation of some “code”?
See post #4.
I wouldnt be taking a course with that description.
As a professor in a state university, I am still baffled as to why this kid got suspended. Considering the rules that I and students have to abide by at my school (which I believe are typical for most higher ed institutions), his behavior just does not amount to a suspension.
I thought poole was the instructor. His photo is on the thread and looks male to me. He/she/it is an absolute moron.
LLS
i emailed him days ago. just disgusting. never ending battle fighting these people. growing weary. takes up so much time and energy.
That looks like a man to me but this is the University that two professors [male] went to Tailand and brought them back a boy for their pleasure[s]. So everything may not bee as it appears.
Florida Atlantic “University” pretty much proved it has the intellectual horsepower of a smell rubber band with their attempt to prosecute this student.
...plus their football team stinks...
“It was good that they apologized and realized what they did was wrong,”
Right after they realized they were going to get the carpola sued out of them. :-)
It is not clear from the stories what the professor did when the student refused and discussed. It is not clear whether the student was suspended for refusing a follow-up to stomp, or if it was retaliation for exposing the exercise and the school to public outcry.
...that’s the whole problem with this thread...a lot of speculation about who did what...if it can be shown that retaliation against the student was for bringing a gratuitous complaint against the instructor, that’s one thing...if the instructor, on the other hand, reacted to the student’s refusal by throwing him out, that’s quite another...
In many states, you cannot sue an educator. They are protected, like government officials. In all cases they are presumed to be acting in the best interest of the public by fiat.
Here in Illinois, you cannot even publicly talk bad about educators (naming them personally). You could be sued in civil court (and you will most likely lose) for damages to their career and earnings (which could run into the millions). Defamation of character is a serious offense against unionized educators in our state. Newspapers and other media are very careful to never name educators in Illinois, even after convicted, until they are booted from the union and they lose their jobs.
There have been cases of kids or parents complaining about educators on facebook or in the “speak out” sections of newspapers who have been sued, even in the case of abuse or molestation.
Some animals are more equal than others.
The student should have agreed to do the assigment only if the so-called “professor” would spit on a picture of Obama in front of the class.
I disagree; a better action would have been to ask the so-called prof to spit on a picture of Obama. Bet hwe would not have.
FAU stands for Find Another University.
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