Outrages in America's Schools--Part One: Academia

Outrages in America's Schools--Part One: Academia

 

In our seriously disturbed modern world, education and educators remain the last, best hope for saving us from being flushed down civilization’s sewer.  Regrettably, they are also responsible for much of the disturbance.

Few Americans would contest the proposition that our schools are in dire trouble.  Even fewer are aware of the scope of those troubles both in academia and our public school systems.

Knowledgeable parents have at least some awareness of the public school plight but a relative minority understands the significance of what’s going on inside and outside the hallowed halls at the collegiate level or, if they do know, are either oblivious of how bad things really are or accept outrages such as arbitrary suspensions of free speech, blatant religious discrimination, and salacious courses and programs as reflections of institutional, academic freedoms.

The bad news is that they are woefully wrong; the good news is that many collegians are fighting back!

—For example, in Hampton, VA, Thomas Nelson Community College student Christian Parks, 26, attempted to spread the Gospel in the college quad when administrators ordered him to stop because he lacked permission to preach because they feared his expression would prompt complaints and they wanted to pacify those who might be offended.  Parks filed suit, alleging prohibition violated his  “fundamental rights to free speech, free exercise of religion, due process, and equal protection of law.”

—In Tucson, Arizona, 50 year old Pima Community College nursing student Terri Bennett was labeled “a bigot and a bitch” by nursing director David Kutzler for  “discriminating against Mexican-Americans.”  She was punished with an extended suspension and later thrown off campus for daring to ask that her nursing studies class be taught in English so she could learn the required material. Accused of disrupting a class, engaging in harassing and discriminatory conduct, “stalking” and “bullying,” she’s suing Pima for harassment, privacy violations, breach of contract, violations of the  Arizona Constitution, retaliation, defamation, discrimination, and emotional distress.

—In California, Army vet and Modesto Junior College student Robert Van Tuinen attempted to distribute copies of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17th, National Constitution Day.  Minutes after he began, Van Tuinen was informed by a campus cop that students were prohibited from distributing materials without prior permission and subsequently advised he might have to wait days or weeks before he could continue.  He filed suit on the basis of being denied his constitutional right to free speech and not only won a $50,000 settlement but an agreement from the school to revise its discriminatory speech code . . . (Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=37438.)