Posted on 11/27/2005 1:52:24 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
Thomas Klocek was, until September 2004, a popular adjunct professor in the School of New Learning at DePaul University in Chicago. A private university linked to the Vincentians, DePaul may not be prestigious, but it is one of America's fastest-growing universities. Many readers will recognize it as the home of the notorious anti-Zionist, Norman Finkelstein.
Klocek taught at DePaul for fourteen years until his dismissal on what I can only describe, not merely as the flimsiest, but as the most prejudicial of grounds. During a Student Activities Fair, a group of eight students representing Students for Justice in Palestine and United Muslims Moving Ahead [the acronym is UMMA, referring to the idea of the international Muslim community] had set up tables in the cafeteria that presented the usual distorted picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Klocek — a devout Catholic — got into what became a heated discussion with these students, a debate that lasted some fifteen to twenty minutes. In the end, he despaired of getting anywhere, but, as he left, made the mistake of making the Italian thumb-to-chin gesture, indicating 'I've had enough', 'I'm out of here'. When challenged, he told the students who he was. None of the students involved in this 'discussion' were in any of Klocek's classes.
The following day, formal complaints had been laid against Klocek, essentially that he had been 'disrespectful' and that the students had been 'hurt and crushed' by his remarks. The Dean of his School, Susanne Dumbleton, is reported to have dismissed him on the spot, without a hearing (to which he was entitled). Because Klocek was an untenured adjunct instructor employed from term to term, he had no rights at all, not even the right to pray at the campus chapel, something he had previously done regularly.
The ACLU has said not one word on the matter. The Association of American Professors has not lifted a finger. And the Muslim students have sent out an e-mail through DePaul, declaring a fatwa on Klocek for insulting Islam. His only hope of redress lies in taking the university to court, an action that has now been taken.
Here is one of several justifications the egregious Dumbleton has given for her action: 'No one should ever use the role of teacher to demean the ideas of others or insist on the absoluteness of an opinion, much less press erroneous assertions.' Should I run that past you again? In a university setting, a teacher's opinions are declared 'erroneous' without open debate, the citation of contrary or supportive views, or any claim to expertise in the matter by the administrator; and on this basis, the teacher can be dismissed.
This is the same university that has for years defended the unspeakable Norman Finkelstein, who teaches in its political science department, on the grounds of 'academic freedom'. The same university that has held an anti-Israel art exhibition on campus, invited representatives of Islamic Jihad, allowed the film Jenin Jenin to be shown to students, and last month hosted a lecture by Ward Churchill.
Denis MacEoin
Newcastle University
LINKS (mainly right-wing, but all worth reading)
DeNial at DePaul -- the Thomas Klocek Affair"
DePaul’s Jihad against academic freedom
FREE SPEECH FRAUD AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
DePaul University: Professor Suspended for Expression Without Due Process
I tried to put this in several context with different issues and liberal and conservative. Don't know why this is an actionable offense. Sounds like a good public exchange and no harm no foul. I guess he was in a zero tolerance zone.
It sounds like DePaul is as tolerant as any Muslim or Left-wing organization.
How can I do better than this??
Typical of a university. Back in 1988, I was at SUNY @ Stony Brook, and staring and laughter could be "actionable."
Mark
Why would it or should it? The ACLU generally gets involved on the wrong side of Constitutional disputes. This a private dispute between a non-tenured professor at a private college. The Constitution is not at issue.
Bunch of non-players who think their little opinions matter.
These are not leaders, they are the powerless egomaniacs who hide in academia. Professors and students too.
All they say and think is utterly inconsequential, despite their passionate melodrama.
Muhammadanism is an insult to humanity. Who is nutty enough to take the words of a 7th century psycho killer for divine revelations? The mind boggles
'No one should ever use the role of teacher to demean the ideas of others or insist on the absoluteness of an opinion, much less press erroneous assertions.'
I see no indication he even mentioned he was a teacher, he was just discussing how distorted their propoganda was, as I would have, had I been there...
There is also no indication he was demeaning the ideas of anyone, he was pointing out how distorted the information they were presenting was, no indication he thought they actually believed the drivel they were selling.....
And finally, using facts to show the incorrectness of propoganda is nowhere near the equivilant of 'insist(ing) on the absoluteness of an opinion, much less press(ing) erroneous assertions.'
I will be sending an e-mail to father Dennis soon....
And they won't either. They stand for civil rights only when it suits their larger left wing agenda.
Who was this????
It's an ongoing story, as DePaul goes on as if nothing has happened, and Klocek's lawsuit against DePaul slowly progresses through the Cook County court system.
So now it's Catholic schools touting the Muslim line too. Interesting....
This fact is not well known outside of academia.
..........................................
If you're thinking of Dr. Alan Dershowitz of Harvard he is liberal on all issues except foreign policy (as in Israel and the war on terror). Many otherwise liberal Jews are conservative when it comes to Israel and to foreign plocy in general.
Did you read the article?
Do you think he should have been be fired?
Sorry about that, busy decorating the house for Christmas AND trying to cook dinner! (I guess I'm not too good at multi, multi tasking.....) Please forgive me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.