Student Sues, Says Prof Called Him a "Fascist Bastard"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

A student is suing Los Angeles City College over an incident in which a professor refused to let him finish a speech against gay marriage, according to the Los Angeles Times. (LA Times)

Student Jonathan Lopez told the Times that the professor, John Matteson, called him a "fascist #######" and refused to let him finish his speech during a public speaking class last November, weeks after California voters approved Proposition 8 banning gay marriage.

Lopez also said the teacher threatened to have him expelled when he complained to college authorities.

Lopez is represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and co-founded by evangelical leader James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Alliance staff counsel David J. Hacker told The Times Lopez was a victim of religious discrimination.

"He was expressing his faith during an open-ended assignment, but when the professor disagreed with some minor things he mentioned, the professor shut him down," Hacker said. "Basically, colleges and universities should give Christian students the same rights to free expression as other students."

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/St...st-#######.html

[Ban Hammer 14,572]

it ain't easy being a conservative in a cali college.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Can anyone post a copy of the speech? I'll bet it's a doozy.

[Ban Hammer 14,572]

Can anyone post a copy of the speech? I'll bet it's a doozy.

this should be interesting. so how about the prof calling him a fascist #######?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Can anyone post a copy of the speech? I'll bet it's a doozy.

this should be interesting. so how about the prof calling him a fascist #######?

What if the professor was right?

Edited February 17, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[luckytxn 2,265]

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

So every college student has the freedom to say whatever they want in class? Interesting concept. Is that how they conduct classes in Texas?

[panamania79 2]

A student is suing Los Angeles City College over an incident in which a professor refused to let him finish a speech against gay marriage, according to the Los Angeles Times. (LA Times)

Student Jonathan Lopez told the Times that the professor, John Matteson, called him a "fascist #######" and refused to let him finish his speech during a public speaking class last November, weeks after California voters approved Proposition 8 banning gay marriage.

Lopez also said the teacher threatened to have him expelled when he complained to college authorities.

Lopez is represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and co-founded by evangelical leader James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Alliance staff counsel David J. Hacker told The Times Lopez was a victim of religious discrimination.

"He was expressing his faith during an open-ended assignment, but when the professor disagreed with some minor things he mentioned, the professor shut him down," Hacker said. "Basically, colleges and universities should give Christian students the same rights to free expression as other students."

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/St...st-#######.html

That name is very popular in colleges nowadays.

[luckytxn 2,265]

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

So every college student has the freedom to say whatever they want in class? Interesting concept. Is that how they conduct classes in Texas?

Yeah we tend to let kids have an opinion in Texas. Strange concept I know but hey it does allow them to speak and debate on all sides of the coin.

[dalegg 143]

Can anyone post a copy of the speech? I'll bet it's a doozy.

this should be interesting. so how about the prof calling him a fascist #######?

I'm sure the student is taking it out of context.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

So every college student has the freedom to say whatever they want in class? Interesting concept. Is that how they conduct classes in Texas?

In the context of a discussion, yes, especially in a community college enviroment. I have had hippie professors call me "facist", "baby killer", and "doctor death", but they never threw me out of the classroom.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I found this from the student's official lawsuit complaint:

The course was intro to public speaking. When the student was making his 'informative' speech assignment, he addressed the issue of God and morality - and he then used the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman as an example. The teacher interrupted him at that point and refused to allow him to finish the speech.

http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/LopezComplaint.pdf

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

So every college student has the freedom to say whatever they want in class? Interesting concept. Is that how they conduct classes in Texas?

In the context of a discussion, yes, especially in a community college enviroment. I have had hippie professors call me "facist", "baby killer", and "doctor death", but they never threw me out of the classroom.

Ok, but you'd get your ####### silenced or kicked out of class if you stood up and started speaking if the professor told you to stop. Freedom of speech doesn't mean any student at any given time can stand up and start speaking.

[dalegg 143]

I found this from the student's official lawsuit complaint:

The course was intro to public speaking. When the student was making his 'informative' speech assignment, he addressed the issue of God and morality - and he then used the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman as an example. The teacher interrupted him at that point and refused to allow him to finish the speech.

http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/LopezComplaint.pdf

"ask God what your grade is"? This school is screwed. Or maybe not. Perhaps this is her way of injecting a fairness doctrine on his ####.

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

So every college student has the freedom to say whatever they want in class? Interesting concept. Is that how they conduct classes in Texas?

In the context of a discussion, yes, especially in a community college enviroment. I have had hippie professors call me "facist", "baby killer", and "doctor death", but they never threw me out of the classroom.

Ok, but you'd get your ####### silenced or kicked out of class if you stood up and started speaking if the professor told you to stop. Freedom of speech doesn't mean any student at any given time can stand up and start speaking.

He didn't just stand up and start speaking. It was his turn to give his assignment. Just so happens she didn't like his topic- or at least the side he stood on in that topic.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The kid should have known better than to give his honest opinion in Commiefornia.

So every college student has the freedom to say whatever they want in class? Interesting concept. Is that how they conduct classes in Texas?

In the context of a discussion, yes, especially in a community college enviroment. I have had hippie professors call me "facist", "baby killer", and "doctor death", but they never threw me out of the classroom.

Ok, but you'd get your ####### silenced or kicked out of class if you stood up and started speaking if the professor told you to stop. Freedom of speech doesn't mean any student at any given time can stand up and start speaking.

Have you been to college? If you are disruptive, then yes, you will be encouraged to leave, though I never saw that happen. But, at least at the colleges I went to, a free exchange of ideas was encouraged: Santa Rosa Junior College, and Sonoma State University.