Posted on 09/19/2001 8:37:21 AM PDT by Lucas McCain
ESTERO — People across the United States may be proud to be Americans right now — but employees at Florida Gulf Coast University's library aren't allowed to show it.
Library Director Cathy Hoeth told her faculty and staff members not to wear stickers saying, "I'm proud to be an American," because, she said, they may offend foreign students, faculty or other people who use the library.
"We're doing everything we can to meet FGCU's standards of civility and tolerance," Hoeth said. "As a librarian, I want the highest respect for everyone coming to the desk."
But Hoeth's concern for sensitivity for non-Americans may be a violation of this country's First Amendment right to freedom of speech, said Florida's civil liberties legal chief.
"There are clear First Amendment issues here," said Randall Marshall, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, headquartered in Miami. "The problem is that employees don't give up their constitutional rights merely because they're in their work place. There is a balance to be struck here between the right of individuals to express themselves and the orderly operation of the public employer's business."
Marshall said Hoeth's action could well be grounds for a lawsuit against the university.
"It's hard for me to fathom that this expression could be interpreted as interfering with the business of the library," Marshall said. "In this case, given that we're essentially in a national state of mourning, there could hardly be a clearer expression of sentiment about a matter of great concern.
"It's unexplainable that a public university would do this," he said.
FGCU administrators wouldn't say whether they supported Hoeth's action, but they made no attempt to stop her from enforcing her directive.
"I have no indication that they're not" supporting her decision, Hoeth said.
And, the administrators said, the university has taken numerous measures to express the grief and concern shared by other Americans since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
"The library and the whole campus are incredibly sensitive," Provost Brad Bartel said. "As you enter into the library, the first thing you see is a TV monitor with a slide show on the tragedy."
Bartel said Hoeth preferred for her faculty and staff members to wear ribbons or flags without any printed statements on them.
"The reason is twofold," Bartel said. "We do have foreign students working in the library, and we have about 200 international students on campus here. When they come in for help, in a way (those stickers) show a statement that could be considered divisive."
Susan Evans, spokeswoman and special assistant for FGCU President William Merwin, said the university has experienced a "huge sense of patriotism" in the past week, with everyone on campus showing a "tremendous sense of pride of patriotism and pride for our country."
"The point is, nobody has any hard-and-fast rules as how to react to something like this — at a university or in the country," Evans said. "At this university, we have taken such great care that our foreign students, faculty and visitors feel welcome — and that they don't feel in any way that we are blaming them because of their ethnic background or religion. We do our best to make sure no insensitive comments are made. We make sure that the mutual respect we've had for each other is there."
Elaine Hozdik, director of multi-access services and faculty sponsor of the FGCU International Club, said some of the international students on campus have been affected emotionally by the terrorist attacks, particularly those who are familiar with terrorism in or near their own countries.
"The whole matter is really tough on them," Hozdik said. "A lot of them feel personally affected, just like the rest of us."
Two students from Germany said they had no problem with Americans wearing the "I'm proud to be an American" stickers.
"No, I don't think there's anything wrong with it," said Tina Kaestner, 20, president of the FGCU International Club. "If they want to wear it, it's up to them. It should be up to the individual, because they have freedom of speech."
Ulf Goebel, 24, said he wasn't offended by the stickers, either.
"If someone is proud of their country, they should display it," Goebel said. "What happened definitely touched me, and it had nothing to do with being German or not German. If I were an American citizen, I would hang out my flag, too. I have no problem with that at all."
Hoeth said she hadn't received any complaints from foreign students and she gave a lot of thought to the matter before she made her decision.
"After the terrorist attacks, we each reacted in our own way," she said. "This week, as our country is struggling to return to normalcy, I talked to my staff about what's appropriate and not appropriate. We have about 200 international students on campus here, representing 59 countries. Dr. Merwin has expressed his concern about insensitive remarks that might be made to them."
Although she made known her decision on Monday, Hoeth held a meeting Tuesday with her staff, which includes two foreign students who work part time, to discuss the issue and why she made her decision. She said a couple of staff members disagreed, but said they understood.
"I told everyone they could put their stickers on their computers and their work stations," Hoeth said. "The only time I ask them not to wear them is when they're at the reference desk."
Mary Kay Hartung, a library faculty member, said she supported Hoeth's decision.
"What libraries are all about is freedom of information and tolerance of ideas," Hartung said. "When (Hoeth) asked me about the issue, I concurred with her that we did not want to offend students or staff members who were not American. I think we're trying to be as prudent as we can in these sensitive times."
Bartel said at first he was surprised when he heard about Hoeth's decision about her employees' stickers.
"That seems so unlikely," Bartel said. "I find it hard to believe."
But after he checked with Hoeth and found it to be true, he asked her to hold the meeting with her staff.
"It was a judgment call on behalf of the library director," Bartel said. "She wasn't following a policy of any kind, because we don't have a policy to address anything like this."
Evans said Hoeth's judgment call was a "pure" one.
"I know Cathy, and I know she is a very open and fair person," Evans said. "We value the First Amendment right — and because of that, all kinds of differing views and opinions are encouraged. We have a huge sense of patriotism here, coupled with the desire that no one feel excluded because of their background."
But Goebel, the German student, said Hoeth may have gone overboard.
"Her doing that is going a little bit far," said Goebel, defending the library employees' right to wear the stickers. "There is freedom of speech, and you can express yourself any way you want. This is a critical issue."
Do you know anything about this? IMHO, this would be akin to a police investigator being asked for a search warrant before being allowed access to the security video tapes after a bank robbery! Sheesh! This is OUR country that the crime was committed against. Just unbelievable. I guess that those planes will have to come smashing into everyone's lives before the reality of this hits home. It simply looked too much like a movie to the vast majority of sheeple out there. They not only do not "get it," but the P.C. cr*p of the past decade has totally fried their brains.
I see that the president of the university has censured this action and hope he fires the idiotic librarian. Knowing the people of Naples and surrounding area, he'll be forced to do so.
Let's see if he finds it "reprehensible" enough to fire this idiot and set an example for their stupidity!
Here's a bunch of emails from that list, so you can send one message to them all at once.
gallen@fgcu.edu
rbachand@fgcu.edu
abhatt@fgcu.edu
rbriggs@fgcu.edu
kcanepi@fgcu.edu
rdonlan@fgcu.edu
pdelrior@fgcu.edu
levans@fgcu.edu
efedor@fgcu.edu
gfrederi@fgcu.edu
cgardine@fgcu.edu
lgolian@fgcu.edu
mhartung@fgcu.edu
khoeth@fgcu.edu
mkmcdona@fgcu.edu
cmalenfa@fgcu.edu
cnafzige@fgcu.edu
rrussell@fgcu.edu
csaint@fgcu.edu
psawalli@fgcu.edu
ksonnans@fgcu.edu
devazque@fgcu.edu
swestenk@fgcu
Let's go get'em!
gallen@fgcu.edu; rbachand@fgcu.edu; abhatt@fgcu.edu; rbriggs@fgcu.edu; kcanepi@fgcu.edu; rdonlan@fgcu.edu; pdelrior@fgcu.edu; levans@fgcu.edu; efedor@fgcu.edu; gfrederi@fgcu.edu; cgardine@fgcu.edu ; lgolian@fgcu.edu; mhartung@fgcu.edu; khoeth@fgcu.edu; mkmcdona@fgcu.edu; cmalenfa@fgcu.edu; cnafzige@fgcu.edu ; rrussell@fgcu.edu; csaint@fgcu.edu; psawalli@fgcu.edu; ksonnans@fgcu.edu; devazque@fgcu.edu; swestenk@fgcu;
"The reason is twofold," Bartel said. "We do have foreign students working in the library, and we have about 200 international students on campus here. When they come in for help, in a way (those stickers) show a statement that could be considered divisive."
Hoeth and Bartel. Two more disgusting scumbags who must lose their jobs.
Please, somebody at this pathetic "university".... sue!
"There are clear First Amendment issues here," said Randall Marshall, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, headquartered in Miami. "The problem is that employees don't give up their constitutional rights merely because they're in their work place. There is a balance to be struck here between the right of individuals to express themselves and the orderly operation of the public employer's business."
THE ACLU!!!! doing something to SUPPORT America... Somebody mark the calendar this is indeed a "special" day.
Semper Delicious
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