Temple to publicize grievance process amid academic-freedom suit

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University, accused of discriminating against those with conservative viewpoints, has approved a new grievance procedure and will publicize it to students this fall.

Temple's Board of Trustees voted last week to enact a uniform policy at its various schools for students with complaints about academic freedom, spokesman Raymond Betzner said.

The state Legislature held a two-day public hearing on the subject at Temple last year, but school officials do not believe there is a widespread problem.

During the hearing, now-retired Temple President David Adamany said he had not received a single complaint on the subject in his five-year term - although students did not hesitate to e-mail him about campus food or the unavailability of certain classes.

"He felt pretty comfortable that it was not a major issue on campus," Betzner said Monday.

Administrators at the large, urban school believe the faculty and student body defy labeling.

"I think it's really difficult to characterize Temple with a student body that is as diverse as ours, and a faculty that is as diverse as ours," Betzner said.

The conservative Alliance Defense Fund charged Temple with liberal bias in a lawsuit filed in February on behalf of graduate student Christian DeJohn. DeJohn, who served with the Pennsylvania National Guard, charged that his differences with a military-history professor over the Iraq war led the professor to retaliate against him by delaying approval of his master's thesis plan.

U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell has not yet ruled on Temple's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Across the country, conservatives including writer-activist David Horowitz have charged that liberal professors infringe on the free-speech rights of conservative students and have demanded an "academic bill of rights."

Horowitz did not immediately return a telephone message left Monday at a spokeswoman's office.

I'm a graduate of Temple. I was a film major and didn't take A LOT of political courses, but yeah. Most of the teachers I encountered were libs - especially in my department. But it's to be expected. It's a college that's nestled in the middle of North Philly which is one huge ghetto.

Although I didn't go to Temple, I took an evening course at another location from one of its female liberal arts professors, who described my work with a graphic profanity in front of the class. (I subsequently graduated from a much better university than Temple with a 4.0).

The white suburban liberals who commute in to attend classes or teach at the main campus may have their inner liberal brought out by the ghetto environment.

They may feel the "pain" of the neighborhood.

My most trying challenge during my time there (I lived on campus) was not giving the "homeless" (alcohol-drug addicts)
money when they begged. I had to discipline myself to providing food and shelter because we all know where the money would have gone.

The liberal bias was there, but there were a few conservatives on campus at the time. I was not very "political" at the time because of depression and was more active in Christian student groups, broadcasting activities on campus, etc.

My liberal professors were in many cases the Kennedy-Humphrey types who may have driven a Volvo or given money to "save whales." I was able to research conservative topics when I had a mind to it including the rise of the "Moral Majority."

Its more radical now no doubt but I do slightly remember the sociology professor whose first name was Clark and who said out front that he was a "Communist." This guy said some honest things like how disgusted he was with people wearing fancy clothes and jewelry coming to him in his "poor" neighborhood to beg for food.

The guy also put in a few pitches for communist revolution ala Angela Davis and such.

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.