Philosophy Professor Punished for Expressing Religious Beliefs

FIRE ^

[Lorianne]

KIRTLAND, OH — Lakeland Community College near Cleveland, Ohio, has removed a professor of moral philosophy from his classes as punishment for refusing to hide his religious identity from students. The college threatened Dr. James Tuttle, who espouses traditional Catholic beliefs, with dismissal because he made statements on his syllabi and in class that disclosed his religious faith and how that shaped his personal philosophy.

"Asking a philosophy professor to divorce his deepest philosophic views from his teaching is both outrageous and absurd," said Greg Lukianoff, director of legal and public advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). "To say that a philosophy professor cannot discuss religious ideas is to render him incapable of meaningful discussion of some of the greatest minds in the history of his field. Feminists are not forced to veil their feminism, and Catholic philosophers should be free to be Catholic philosophers."

Dr. Tuttle's problems began in March 2003 when he received a copy of a student complaint forwarded to him by Dean James L. Brown of the Arts and Humanities Division at Lakeland. The student complained that Dr. Tuttle mentioned his Catholic beliefs too often for the student's taste and suggested that he be given "counseling for tolerance."

In an effort to address this issue, Dr. Tuttle decided to add "disclaimers" to the syllabi of two of his classes informing students that the professor was "a committed Catholic Christian philosopher and theologian," so that students would know in advance about his perspective. The statement also encouraged any students who felt uncomfortable with Dr. Tuttle's views or methods to feel free to talk to him outside of class.

On April 21, 2003, Dr. Tuttle received a letter from Dean Brown saying that he was "more bothered by [Tuttle's] disclaimer than by anything I read in [the student]'s complaint." Dean Brown went on to suggest that Dr. Tuttle "would be happier in a sectarian classroom." In punishing Dr. Tuttle for including the disclaimer, Dean Brown stated that he would reduce Dr. Tuttle's course load for the next semester to only one class (thereby reducing his pay) and would subject him to classroom monitoring by a fellow professor before reaching a final decision on whether to actually fire him.

Dr. Tuttle contacted FIRE for help, and in December FIRE wrote to Lakeland Community College President Morris W. Beverage to protest the college's punishment of Dr. Tuttle. FIRE reminded Lakeland that Dr. Tuttle's disclosure and discussion of his religious beliefs in a philosophy class were directly relevant to the topic of the class and that "such candor from an instructor should be welcomed rather than condemned."

FIRE also pointed out that Lakeland's demand that Dr. Tuttle avoid commenting on his own religious beliefs ignores the pervasive historic, intellectual, and cultural ties between the worlds of religion and philosophy. Reminding President Beverage that philosophers including Plato, Lao Tzu, Maimonides, and Thomas Aquinas espoused theories that regarded religion and philosophy as integrated parts of one whole, FIRE asked, "Which of these thinkers would Dean Brown punish for intellectual honesty at Lakeland Community College?"

Lakeland failed to respond to FIRE's request that the college cease its unfair persecution of Dr. Tuttle and that it restore him to his full class load. Instead, Dr. Tuttle was informed in December that he was being given the last pick of classes—with a selection of courses that administrators knew he did not wish to teach—despite the fact that Lakeland's traditional seniority system should have given him preference over six other instructors. Dr. Tuttle refused to accept the loss of his seniority and declined to accept Lakeland's shameful offer.

FIRE is calling for Lakeland Community College to reinstate Dr. Tuttle as a philosophy instructor and will put information about Dr. Tuttle's situation in the hands of the media, the public, and local and national advocacy groups. FIRE also appeals to lovers of liberty of all religious and non-religious views to write or call President Beverage to express their opinions about Lakeland's treatment of Dr. Tuttle. Stay tuned for further developments in this case.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, civic leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and due process on our nation's campuses. Please visit www.thefire.org to read more.

[Naspino]

Philosophy is supposed to be about the hatred of religion not the support of it. This professor committed an outrage to believe he could mix the two.

[WOSG]

Atheism is now the established and enforced religion of the community colleges.

[Spok]

"The student complained that Dr. Tuttle mentioned his Catholic beliefs too often for the student's taste and suggested that he be given "counseling for tolerance."

Here is the heart of the conflict-it is the holding of Christian beliefs that is considered 'intolerant'; professing any other belief, including paganism or wishing for the deaths of American soldiers, is considered 'diversity' and free expression.

[Naspino]

The new philosophy leans towards the worship of self; substituting God with self. Atheism is more benign than that.

[thinktwice]

Here is the heart of the conflict-it is the holding of Christian beliefs that is considered 'intolerant'

Would you like to have your children learn philosophy from a dedicated Islamic philosophy professor?

[tbpiper]

the student's taste and suggested that he be given "counseling for tolerance."

Arrogant little twit. Should be given a short, sharp physics lab on a manually applied impulse and it's subsequent nasal deformation.

[jtminton]

Feminists are not forced to veil their feminism, and Catholic philosophers should be free to be Catholic philosophers

I gotta use that sometime. Great quote.

[Redbob]

I would certainly like my children to have the option of choosing their own courses, and not have them pre-selected by a college adminsitration espousing one particular point of view.
And there is no evidence that Prof. Tuttle advocated the Catholic faith, merely that he referred to his own faith.

[King Black Robe]

I think all liberals possess what I call the Hitler gene. They just can't get past the dictator mentality. They want to create a perfect race of people with the same ideological leanings as the creators of those bad Billy Jack movies.

[Duke of Milan]

You have grasped what most people refuse to see...most people who claim to be atheists are self-worshippers agreeing with Lucifer's offer in the garden :"you shall be like God...". Atheism would indeed be more benign.

[Mmmike]

It sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. Granted the high profile philosophers of the last 300 years have mostly been atheists. But they are very much products of their times, and so is their fame. Good philosophy sees beyond times and circumstances and ventures toward religious themes.

[thinktwice]

I would certainly like my children to have the option of choosing their own courses, and not have them pre-selected by a college adminsitration espousing one particular point of view.

Skipping the fact that there is no such thing as a collective mind, how many points of view would you like your community college administration to espouse?

[Spok]

"Would you like to have your children learn philosophy from a dedicated Islamic philosophy professor?"

Yes, if the professor had enough academic integrity to understand and distinguish between indoctrination and education. In my college years, the socialists were often idealistic enough to truly respect diverse opinions (though not always), but the communists were dogmatic, doctrinaire, and universally vicious.

[waverna]

I weep for Community College Philosophy departments everywhere!

[thinktwice]

Good philosophy sees beyond times and circumstances and ventures toward religious themes.

Good philosophy sees beyond times and circumstances by closely examining all things, and that would include the countless collection of (all but yours?) flawed-by-faith religious philosophies.

[makeamericagreatagain]

It sounds like the professor was in no way trying to push his ideas or views on his students. He was simply using his faith as an example for the students. By the time people are in college they should be beyond the "oh I get offended if someone expresses an opinion that differs from mine" stage. Academia today is hell bent on trying to advocate "tolerance" and "open mindedness" so therefore why should a professor be punished for expressing a view that is different. The little whining brat who issued the complaint should be open to different opinions. Maybe the student is the one who should heed his own advice and seek counseling on toleration.

[dsat4life]

What's truly amazing is that Lakeland Community College allows one disgruntled student to cause a professor to lose his classes! Isn't this the "tyranny of the minority?" I doubt it matters to LCC that the majority of Dr. Tuttle's students are happy with him.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has conveniently omitted that the student said Dr. Tuttle needs "counseling on tolerance." And here's why: Just one week ago, they published an advertisement, paid for by the Democratic Party, with the word "intolerance", in great big letters!!, telling its readers to call the governor's office and tell him to veto the "Defense of Marriage Act." Now they dare not suggest--at this time in history, and particularly because many people in Cleveland are Catholic--that Catholics are "intolerant." On the other hand, there are enough smart Catholics and Christians in the Cleveland area who would respond to the article by saying, sounds to me like this (pagan) student needs "counseling in tolerance." No way!! Atheists and pagans aren't intolerant, are they? It's just not in their genetic make-up, is it? Is there a bit of anti-Catholic bias, perhaps, in the Cleveland Plain Distorter office, hmmmm!?

[Naspino]

It sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder.

You have a degree in philosophy or something?

[tbpiper]

The left if fond of single word epithets. Lately 'intolerance' and 'censorship' seem to be the current favorites.

We shouldn't flinch when they bellow but state firmly that there are some things which shouldn't be tolerated (gay 'marriage') and some things which should be censored (that boob, Janet Jackson or that Janet Jackson boob, whatever). I think it's past time to let the libs know they're in a fight.