Posted on 03/27/2004 8:31:05 AM PST by mykdsmom
CHAPEL HILL -- UNC-Chapel Hill is under investigation by federal authorities for an incident in February in which an English instructor singled out a student for "hate speech" after the student spoke out against homosexuality.
The university was notified of the investigation in a letter March 22 from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
"Specifically OCR will be investigating whether an e-mail sent by a teacher on or about Feb. 6 ... constituted harassment based on race or sex and whether the university responded appropriately," the letter said. "Our review will include whether any similar incidents had been brought to the university's attention previously, and whether the university responded consistently in those incidents."
U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones, a Farmville Republican, requested an investigation in February. But Rodger Murphey, a spokesman with the Department of Education, said there had been multiple complaints against UNC-CH related to the incident.
On Friday, Chancellor James Moeser told the UNC-CH Faculty Council about the probe -- the same day the group unanimously adopted a resolution stating its commitment to "intellectual integrity and freedom."
Moeser said the university would cooperate fully with the investigation. He also emphasized that academic freedom is at UNC-CH's core, part of its "genetic code."
"Our main responsibility is to remain a vibrant intellectual community in which all viewpoints can be comfortably expressed and heard in an atmosphere of civility and respect," Moeser said. "Our charge is to maintain an open atmosphere, one in which unpopular or controversial ideas may be expressed, heard, but also challenged without any fear of retribution."
For the past two years, UNC-CH has been in the national spotlight after conservative critics attacked its freshman reading assignment as liberal indoctrination. The incident in February in an English classroom stoked further criticism.
It started with a class discussion about the ways heterosexual and gay men relate to one another. A student said that, as a Christian, he disagreed with homosexuality. He recalled the story of a friend who found a gay man's advances "disgusting."
On Feb. 6, instructor Elyse Crystall wrote an e-mail message to the class, calling the student's comments "hate speech" that would not be tolerated. She referred to him as a "white, heterosexual, [C]hristian male" who feels "entitled to make violent, heterosexist comments and not feel marked or threatened or vulnerable."
Later, Crystall apologized to the class, saying she was trying to promote respectful conversation, not censor students. University officials said they were monitoring the class to ensure students' free speech.
Moeser praised the English department for its handling of the incident. He did not comment further about the case. Crystall could not be reached for comment.
The Office for Civil Rights asked UNC-CH to provide documents about the incident and its handling, including a roster of students, course materials, messages posted to the class discussion forum and a list of any similar matters or complaints about campus discrimination based on race or sex.
Balanced resolution
The faculty resolution endorsed Friday said the university is committed to principles of "intellectual independence, nondiscrimination on the basis of, among others, race, sex and sexual orientation, free speech and expression."
It struck a balance between affirming unfettered debate while recognizing a distinction between "expressing arguments in an open discussion and presenting personal attacks on others, whether they are present in the classroom or not."
It also emphasized that political affiliation is irrelevant to a faculty member's position and should not be considered in hiring. Conservative students at UNC-CH and Duke have recently publicized analyses of academic departments dominated by Democrats.
Judith Wegner, faculty chairwoman, said it was important for the faculty to make a firm statement of its values in an increasingly polarized environment.
"I fear society at this point has sometimes lost the drift of dialogue and instead has moved toward debate in a way that doesn't necessarily lead to light," she said. "It may lead to flashes, but not necessarily constructive ones."
Moeser said UNC-CH's recent experience is part of a national trend on campuses everywhere.
"It is natural that we should be having these conversations here in Chapel Hill, where, in fact, we have been in the spotlight and at the eye of the storm since our creation in 1793," Moeser said. "Our university's history has been marked by the yeast of democracy, and we are very proud of it."
Teacher 'sorry' for singling out UNC student
MKM
If you would like to be added or deleted from this list please FReepmail either myself, TaxRelief or Constitution Day.
Duke students yell for improved security Voices raised - Violence protested By JANE STANCILL, Staff Writer
Duke University student leaders say their campus is a dangerous place, and they're calling for major improvements in security and more frequent Duke police patrols.
The new demands came Wednesday, the same day about 100 students gathered near Duke Chapel to express their outrage about two campus sexual assaults in the past week. The protest featured a continuous five-minute scream from the crowd.
demands The students' list of demands includes the following:
* Better lighting and uniform lighting standards across the campus.
* Trims to overgrown shrubs and trees.
* More signs to help students and visitors navigate the campus.
* More visible presence by Duke police, especially patrols on foot, bike and the university's newfangled scooters called Segways.
Student government representatives took the university to task for not sending immediate e-mail warning the student body about a rape Friday and a sexual assault Sunday. Most students heard about the attacks through newspaper and TV reports.
"It is time to stop speaking about improving safety and time to start doing something about it," said a letter signed by Matthew Slovik, student government president, and Alex Niejelow, a student vice president.
The students issued a list of demands.
Students say Duke officers spend too much time in their cars, and the students called on campus police to halt plans to move patrols into Durham neighborhoods. The legislature last year granted Duke police the authority to patrol off campus. The plan has been bashed by students, who say the cops only want to crack down on student parties in nearby neighborhoods such as Trinity Park.
Duke Police Chief Clarence Birkhead said that he is hiring five new officers for the Duke-Durham border patrols and that the effort won't strain the department.
The 50 sworn Duke officers patrol 15 miles of private roads and a campus with 18,000 to 20,000 students, faculty and employees.
"It's a big place," he said. "I think we do a good job with the resources we have."
The department has done surveys and hired consultants to improve safety, he said. Among the changes he cited were additional emergency phones, more patrols around dormitories and a new program called Silent Night, in which extra Duke employees patrol the campus after dark. They wear reflective vests and drive in university vehicles with flashing lights.
Students said the program should be staffed by professional security guards as opposed to Duke employees with minimal training.
Birkhead said there had been no arrests in the sexual assaults. "We are following up on every possible lead," he said.
Duke administrators and police held two meetings Wednesday night in a dormitory to discuss safety concerns with students.
Niejelow and Slovik said Duke students need to feel safe to be successful in the university's highly competitive environment.
They also took a jab at the university for the recent controversy about what some students say is a liberal bias by Duke professors.
"Whether it is intellectual safety within the classroom or physical safety on West Campus, this university is failing to protect its most valuable resource," they wrote. "Its students."
MKM
This will actually be the first in a LONG list of similar things to be handled fairly. This Socialist indoctrination camp has had SO much controversy in the past few years that they can no longer sweep it under the rug.
The local press (mostly conservative talk radio) have brought it to the attention of the tax-payers and they have complained. The conservative groups on campus are becoming more outspoken and going to the press with this stuff too. The college Republicans are really responsible for putting the spotlight on this. I applaud them for it.
MKM
Notice they didn't say non-discrimination on the basis of political persuasion or religion. Hmm....
Feds Investigate 'Hate Speech' Incident at UNC-Chapel Hill
MKM
No this is legit. I know because I filed the initial complaint. It's not UNC, or even the State investigating, its Federal. So, much to UNC's dismay, this has gone far beyond their ability to control. Which they thought they would neatly do, by having the English Dep't monitor it's racists in the English Dep't.
Even DOE has to watch it's step; because Cass Ballanger (R-NC-Goodguy) in part controls DOEs purse strings on subcommittee appropriations. Which I am sure, they don't want to see a reduction in, in budget. And , there is no more blatant a case than this - complete with a tidy audit trail, to 'box' both DOE and UNC.
It will be like swallowing poison to UNC but Ms. Crystall has to go. By removing her, UNC will lose favor among it's peers, since white, male Christian bashing should be rewarded, not punished. So they run the risk of disdain among the Liberal elite for canning what should be rewarded. But....money is money. And THAT won't be sacrificed for Ms. Crystall; racist Christ-o-phobe that she is. See? They're all Capitalists at heart, in the end.
Greed is not not synonomous with "capitalism".
Glad you said this. Some of the biggest greed-heads are at Viacom, not to mention liberally controlled Hollywood.
We need a more "moral economy".
Well, that's embarrassing. The Chancellor doesn't know the University was founded in 1789.
After so many years of liberal inbreeding,
they shouldn't be bragging about their "genetic code".
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