DOE Nominee Attacked for Supporting Academic Freedom [semi-satire]

Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 5 Feb 2017 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

Betsy DeVos, Trump's nominee to head the US Depart6ment of Education, was assailed in Senate committee hearings for her past association with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). FIRE's positions in opposition to school suppression of freedom of speech and in support of transparent due process procedures for school disciplinary actions drew harsh opposition from Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn).

"FIRE has intruded on universities trying to police their own campuses to ferret out dangerous ideas and non-conforming attitudes," the Senator complained. "School administrators endeavoring to shield not-yet-mature young minds from confusing and confounding influences are being harassed by FIRE's attempt to inject First Amendment standards that school authorities have decided are inappropriate in the academic environment. Ms. DeVos needs to disassociate herself from this radical organization and join the mainstream if she wants us to entrust her with this powerful position of influence."

Casey's communications director, John Rizzo called FIRE's push for due process "a step backward. Their insistence that a person accused of sexual improprieties by another student is somehow entitled to the same sort of Fifth Amendment protections afforded to the accused outside the cloistered confines of the academic community is frightening. It is the Senator's position that requiring the accused to be apprised of the specific allegations against him and to have the right to confront his accuser or the witnesses against him would have a chilling effect on the willingness of victims to come forward. Allowing school officials to quietly expel or otherwise punish the accused enables important institutional objectives to be achieved with minimal fuss."

if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,247686.0.html

[MeganC]

Awesome as usual!!! Thank you for sharing!!!