Deandre Poole
Posted on 03/26/2013 3:00:25 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A Florida academic institution that had a professor tell his students to write the name Jesus on paper and trample on it has issued a formal apology for the lesson.
"This exercise will not be used again. The University holds dear its core values. We sincerely apologize for any offense this caused," said Florida Atlantic University, a multi-campus institution, in a prepared statement posted on its website.
"Florida Atlantic University respects all religions and welcomes people of all faiths, backgrounds and beliefs." FAU also stated that "no students were forced to take part in the exercise" and "that no student has been expelled, suspended or disciplined by the University as a result of any activity that took place during this class."
Last week, it was reported at various online outlets that a student at FAU was suspended for refusing to participate in a class assignment from a textbook for an Intercultural Communications class titled Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 5th Edition.
The assignment called for students to write the name "Jesus" on a piece of paper, put the paper on the ground, and stomp on it.
Ryan Rotela, a junior at FAU who was enrolled at the class, told local media that he went to school officials to protest the assignment.
"Anytime you stomp on something it shows that you believe that something has no value … So if you were to stomp on the word Jesus, it says that the word has no value," said Rotela to local media.
The professor who oversaw the class, Dr. Deandre Poole, is unaffiliated with FAU and is also chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party.
According to his profile on the PBC Democratic Party website, Poole is a member of Lighthouse Worship Center Church of God in Christ, Fort Lauderdale, where he belongs to the congregation's usher board.
Poole said that the exercise was meant to encourage debate. However, Rotela told WPEC that the whole incident was "unprofessional."
"I said to the professor, 'With all due respect to your authority as a professor, I do not believe what you told us to do was appropriate," said Rotela.
News of the "stomp Jesus" class assignment made the rounds in many social commentator circles, with many seeing it as another example of secularist anti-Christian sentiment.
Fox News commentators, including former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee questioned if any program at FAU would have allowed "Muhammad" to be written on the paper and stomped instead.
So was he suspended or not? Oftentimes the press presents a he said / she said perspective when its too much work to find out what happened.
BTW, A professor at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Davie campus named Deandre Poole teaches an “Intercultural Communication” class from a textbook by the same name.
The textbook calls for an exercise where students write the name of Jesus in large letters on a piece of paper and then stomp on it.
Prof. Poole is a Democratic Party Official according to the Examiner:
http://www.examiner.com/article/fau-professor-stomp-on-jesus-incident-a-democratic-party-official
He should ask for forgiveness....not apologize...
His fate will be determined not by us, but by God....
When will the prof be suspended?
The standard libtard non-apology, apology.
These morons knew this would be offensive. Of course they did. They got negative flak and it backfired on them. Offer non-apology apology, talk about how great their university values are, now people will leave us alone.
They are utter Filth. I personally would love to see Jesus Christ put a piece of paper down with His name on it in front of that instructor and say, “Go ahead, stomp on My name.” I really would.
University Takes Action to Punish Student
A Florida Atlantic University student who filed a complaint against his professor after he was ordered to stomp on the name of Jesus has been brought up on academic charges by the school and may no longer attend class, according to documents obtained by Fox News.
The “Notice of Charges” against Ryan Rotela is contrary to a statement the university released late Friday night saying no one had been disciplined as a result of the classroom activity.
“We can confirm that no student has been expelled, suspended or disciplined by the university as a result of any activity that took place during this class,” the university said in a prepared statement.
However, according to a letter written by Associate Dean Rozalia Williams, Rotela is facing a litany of charges – including an alleged violation of the student code of conduct, acts of verbal, written or physical abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion or other conduct which threaten the health, safety or welfare of any person.”
“In the interim, you may not attend class or contact any of the students involved in this matter – verbally or electronically – or by any other means,” Williams wrote to Rotela. “Please be advised that a Student Affairs hold may be placed on your records until final disposition of the complaint.”
Core Values they have none to allow this agenda!
Find a new University for you Kids!
Money talks and BS walks!
They made their stand with a no nothing professor who thought he could stomp on Christianity. Try stomping on Mohammad you sack of crap and we’ll see a jihad!
I think anytime this kind of assignment is put out there anywhere, we need students to say, No, but I will stomp on a picture of a) you, the teacher, b) your mother, b) your father, c) your god, d) teacher’s diploma, e) the word Mohammed, f) the word Buddha, g) the word Satan
and see how that flies.
I don’t know how to post photos... But just Google Deandre Poole the professor and see how angry he looks!
Can you imagine what would happen if this intercultural class would say “Stomp on Mohammed, Stomp on Buddha, etc.”
I’m sure everyone gets my drift.
Poll: Should ‘stomp Jesus’ FAU professor Deandre Poole be forced to resign as vice chair of the Democratic Party and from FAU?
Should “stomp Jesus” FAU professor Deandre Poole be forced to resign as vice chair of the Democratic Party and from FAU?
Yes to both
Just from the Democratic Party
Just as a professor
No to both
Should “stomp Jesus” FAU professor Deandre Poole be forced to resign as vice chair of the Democratic Party and from FAU?
Yes to both (76%, 3,292 Votes)
Just as a professor (18%, 760 Votes)
No to both (5%, 221 Votes)
Just from the Democratic Party (1%, 42 Votes)
Total Voters: 4,315
“We can confirm that no student has been expelled, suspended or disciplined by the university as a result of any activity that took place during this class,” the university said in a prepared statement.
True. Instead they isolated and silenced him.
Deandre Poole
Fla. Gov. Scott reprimands FAU, requests incident report on Jesus stomping
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is requesting a report on the incident that occurred at Florida Atlantic University last week, when a student was asked to stomp on a piece of paper with “Jesus” written on it. In a letter to Frank Brogan, chancellor of the Florida University System, Scott asked for an explanation on how the situation was handled and what FAU is doing to see that it doesn’t happen again.
“I just spoke to Ryan Rotela and applauded him for having the courage to stand up for his faith,” Scott said in a statement. “I told him that it took great conviction and bravery to stand up and say what he was asked to do was wrong, and went against what he believed in.”
The incident garnered national attention after the university first punished the student involved, then apologized for the assignment.
Scott’s letter to Brogan said the governor wanted an accurate accounting of what happened:
I am deeply disappointed in the recent actions of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) faculty that raises significant questions over students’ rights and the lessons being taught in our classrooms…
Whether the student was reprimanded or whether an apology was given is in many ways inconsequential to the larger issue of a professor’s poor judgment. The professor’s lesson was offensive, and even intolerant, to Christians and those of all faiths who deserve to be respected as Americans entitled to religious freedom.
The publishers have the right to publish the book, just as we have a right to do some consciousness raising about this abomination they call a text book, most likely purchased with the student’s parents’ money.
All the university needs to do is write the name of Mohammed on a piece of paper and do the same and call themselves ‘Fair and Balanced’.
Good point. Cut and paste journalism is no journalism at all.
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