Professor Sues Students

AZCONSERVATIVE ^ | 13 May 2008 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

Dartmouth English professor Priya Venkatesan is suing her students for “mental harassment” and the college’s administrators for “failure to safeguard my emotional health.”

Venkatesan maintains that some of her students were so resistant to her exposition of “French narrative theory” that the classroom became a “hostile working environment.” “They argued with my ideas,” she charged. “They questioned my authority.”

The professor’s suit mentions a specific incident wherein students assailed her contention that science is “a patriarchal construct that suppresses feminine ways of knowing.” One of the students took issue, citing empirical evidence in his argument. When he was applauded by his classmates, Venkatesan broke into tears.

“He battered me with logic and data,” Venkatesan complained. “These are well-known tools of phalli-centric oppression.”

Venkatesan expressed confidence that her lawsuit would be profitable. “Dartmouth is an expensive school,” she pointed out. “So, I know the students’ parents have money. I will make them pay for the abuse their spawn have inflicted upon me.”

[Das Outsider]

Surely this is satire. If only students WOULD challenge these mind dancing elitists.

This would be very convincing and top-notch satire were it not for the following:

Dartmouth English professor Priya Venkatesan is suing her students for “mental harassment” and the college’s administrators for “failure to safeguard my emotional health.”

[M203M4]

This one is tough to construct satire for, because it is already a farce. The woman is certifiable - and, similar to what someone else said, it seems that the school’s policy of diversity-driven hiring (affirmative-action) led them to accept someone with questionable scientific merit, an array of personality disorders, and atypical stupidity.

[Jo Nuvark]

My bad. Turns out to be true.
There’s hope for our country.
Dartmouth....? Not so much.

[Das Outsider]

My bad. Turns out to be true. There’s hope for our country.

There is just enough verisimilitude for it to be a genuine story. The line between satire and reality is vanishing.

[ocr1]

ping

[joebuck]

"I would like to be on that jury."

The case would never make it past a Motion to Dismiss Complaint.

[fetal heart beats by 21st day]

http://www.dartmouthindependent.com/archives/2008/05/post-9.html

[NonValueAdded]

From the real story: "The remarkable thing about the Venkatesan affair, to me, is that her students cared enough to argue."

Thanks, John, for bringing this issue to my attention with your usual hilarious satirical treatment of the lunacy of the left.

[freema]

I can never decide which I like best, the post or the thread comments.

[Oztrich Boy]

Not as much as you think.

[Paine in the Neck]

They argued with my ideas,” she charged. “They questioned my authority.”

College students? Who'd a thunk it.

"Think for yourself and question authority"--Timothy Leary

[Colofornian]

Venkatesan maintains that some of her students were so resistant to her exposition of “French narrative theory” that the classroom became a “hostile working environment.” “They argued with my ideas,” she charged. “They questioned my authority.”

How is this much different than many thin-skinned threads around here? I've seen one post where a lawsuit was intimated toward another poster simply because somebody was "annoyed" (their word). And I've heard of many pressing the abuse button simply because they didn't like the negative presentation of their faith.