EDUCATION LIFE When a student mob came for my job, my college did not support me

Students at my college demanded a review of my tenure because of an article I wrote. My fellow faculty members failed to back me up

Sarah Lawrence College claims that its mission is to graduate students who are, ‘diverse in every definition of the word.’ Unfortunately, recent events which have been in the national eye, suggest otherwise. And this story involves me.

Seizing on an op-ed I wrote for The New York Times a few months ago, in which I questioned the lack of ideological balance of the school’s extracurricular programming, a group of student protesters calling themselves the Diaspora Coalition labeled me a racist misogynist. They demanded that my ‘position at the College be put up to tenure review to a panel of the Diaspora Coalition and at least three faculty members of color.’

As a direct assault on academic freedom and free speech, this demand by the Diaspora Coalition should have sent shivers down the spines of all of my colleagues at Sarah Lawrence College and compelled an immediate and strong faculty response. That simply did not happen.

In fact, after the op-ed’s initial publication in October, there was a national media storm in which I was slandered and defamed, my family’s safety was threatened, and my personal property was destroyed on campus.

While the college president eventually issued a perfunctory statement noting that I had ‘every right, and the full support of the college, to pursue and publish this work,’ the faculty’s support was minimal.

Only 27 members of the faculty community signed the document, roughly 7 percent of the total faculty. Thus, to my shock, a proclamation in defense of academic freedom, freedom of speech and mutual respect clearly was deemed controversial and not overwhelmingly supported by my own colleagues.

Every Education Institute in this Country is a liberal indoctrination center. Every single one. K-5, 6-8, 9-12, college. Private, Parochial, Public. Every single one.

Do you hear about Common Core anymore? Of course not since they changed the name but it’s still the same curriculum. Do you hear about PARCC? It’s called something else now but it’s the same damn test.

Take a look at the k-12 curriculum. The college and post grad curriculum. It has been a total take-over. Little cuts until it totally changed.How many understand what it being taught in history/”social sciences” today? How many understand how English/Language Arts/ ILA has changed? What exactly are the k-12 kids reading? I know and it’s astounding. I guess I figured it was ok as long as math and science weren’t affected. Take a look at the math and science curriculum for K-8 and 9-12.

The least of our worries is college. Start with k-5 and you see what’s happening.15 years ago, it was middle school - 6-8 until they realized that was too late. K-5. That’s what’s happening now. And many of the parents today have no clue or don’t care or agree with the agenda.

A big part of why the landscape is changing is because our children are being taught the agenda in school, in entertainment, the “news” etc. And our demographics are changing as well as our “laws” and some are so blind to it all.

I never thought the curriculum would be allowed to change here in my very affluent area. But it did, little by little when parents were too busy to notice or care. My kids are grown now and I hope my future grandchildren don’t attend private, parochial, or public school. I hope my future grandchildren could be homeschooled by my husband and me since their parents would have to work (unlike when I was a SAHM when one income could support a family with sacrifices).

Maybe it’s different in other areas of the US. I thought it was different here. I was wrong.

I’m so saddened by this. We have some, a very few, who try but we believe it’s best to shut up since we are so outnumbered. Until we don’t lol. That’s always fun.

The few times I or someone I work with speak up, it’s awful. We do but after so many times, we just try to stay out of all political talk and focus on the kids. Surprising or maybe not, only us conservative/republican/libertarian workers focus on the kids. Everyone else is all about either some agenda or they’re clueless and just follow the policy.

But it’s hard to be a change when anyone who agrees has either left, attacks you for staying, or just doesn’t know or care.

Thank you. I wonder sometimes why I stay and your post is one of the reasons. Somebody has to.

You know, I taught high school (and a college class). Those kids don’t care about the agenda and they don’t fall for it (the high schooler is either focused on the gpa and weighted gpa and scholarships or sports or parties etc.). The middle schooler (normal ones who aren’t a part of the ever growing victim class due to divorce, etc.) are concerned about the social issues of their lives. Liberals finally figured that out and I can’t understand why Conservatives haven’t. Anyway, it’s the K-5 area that I’m now in where I see it the most. It’s astounding and amazing in the worst sense. Do parents not see this? And if so why?

I saw it immediately in the entertainment industry. In the “news” industry. Took me while in the education industry even though I saw it way back in the late 80s. It was so small. A little cut.

OMG yes I was pressured to join the Union when I worked in philly (and my oldest bro was a union rep then liason for many years). I didn’t because back then they couldn’t force you. Now they can. I didn’t join when I went back to teaching in early 2000s until I was told the union would take their cut whether I agreed or not. I didn’t but they still took their cut. Eventually, I signed.

I joined the union a few years ago to protect my medical and pension, but it doesn’t. So few realize that. It also doesn’t really protect your job unless you’re a member of the victim class (but that’s how it is everywhere now).

I’m wondering when white people will finally wake up and if they do, when they are no longer the majority and can do nothing about it. When they stop feeling this new thing called white guilt? As a child of immigrant grandparents, and a father who fought in WWII, I will never get this victim mentality that’s so prevalent today.

It doesn’t surprise me about the philly teacher. It should but doesn’t surprise me about the Catholic school teacher.At least here, the curriculum is the exact same now. It really saddens me.

I was so disillusioned with my Pope that I stopped attending Mass until I finally realized that he, the hierarchy, the politics wasn’t the Faith. And I needed to fight them too rather than accept what they became. Hey, the liberals took over that too so maybe those of us who believe differently could take it back? Not ready to give my Church over to the liberals, gays, freaks, including those who are clergy.

Every single time I think I’m done, something happens to pull me back in. This week it’s what one of my daughter’s is experiencing at work with a black muslim. And I don’t give a damn if that appears racist or some phobic bullshit. It’s happening. Being accused of hate speech can now affect anyone and I will be damned if I allow one of mine to be trashed by this newest agenda.

I look at my mandatory union membership and say why. Why exactly is this legal? Why do I have pay the union I don’t support or believe in? Just to keep my job? yeah that’s it just to keep my job. How is that right?

It’s not. So tomorrow, I will take on the NJEA. What happened with my daughter and her black muslim co worker and the advice I gave her and how she reported it to her manager, has given me some clarity. Also armed the kid with an illegal tazer and the next step is a gun. Why do people allow themselves to be victimized? Why did we allow every institution in this country to be taken over by the liberal agenda?

I don’t have any answers just what I’m gonna do for me and mine. What happened to my daughter by that black muslim bitch, and my 23 year old is fighting back, is not right. What the union is doing is not right. Why am I giving them close to $100 a month to support everything I don’t agree with? It’s extortion and no different than what the mob did/does to businesses in South Philly. What the government does every day to its citizens.

I’m over it. Every few months one of my daughters learns a lesson and they become more conservative rather than victims.

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.