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

[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

"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 ####.

Yeah, that was uncalled for. It sounds like this student is a real pain in the ####### though. The professor had the right to stop him from finishing his speech, but he probably should have let him continue and then critiqued the speech for being propaganda. Maybe the student would have learned there's a difference.

Edited February 17, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[Ban Hammer 14,573]

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?

inmaterial, i expect better diction from a prof.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Maybe the student would have learned there's a difference.

Fat chance.

[luckytxn 2,265]

So what the kid was saying was propaganda but anything on the other side was not?

[Peikko 1,575]

It doesn't matter what his views are, so long as he can present them in a coherent, reasoned and respectful fashion in a debate. however, I think there can be problems if a student uses a debate to incite hatred. However, a skillful professor would presumably be able to handle that too.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It doesn't matter what his views are, so long as he can present them in a coherent, reasoned and respectful fashion in a debate. however, I think there can be problems if a student uses a debate to incite hatred. However, a skillful professor would presumably be able to handle that too.

What she said!

[Danno 1,228]

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 ####.

Yeah, that was uncalled for. It sounds like this student is a real pain in the ####### though. The professor had the right to stop him from finishing his speech, but he probably should have let him continue and then critiqued the speech for being propaganda. Maybe the student would have learned there's a difference.

I don't know why you seem to be painting this student as, out of order or, out of control?

He was giving a speech concerning marriage, which by the way, he holds a view the majority of people in the country seem to agree with. (Including the President)

I hardly see how using the Bible and dictionary to lay historical or practical sourcing to buttress his position as going "over the line".

why would this professor treat him like he was endorsing Hitler or something?

I hope this teacher or any other who would try to use their position to humiliate or bully others find themselves in court trying to explain to a judge or jury their actions.

Colleges use to be places of education, now they are no more job preparation centers.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't know if this is an indicator of a general trend in teaching at university level, but it does seem to me that this professor just isn't much good.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I don't know if this is an indicator of a general trend in teaching at university level, but it does seem to me that this professor just isn't much good.

It was a community college. In Los Angeles City Schools, they are basically an extension of the High Schools:

Community college located in Central Los Angeles (on UCLA's old campus), serving Central Los Angeles with liberal arts and trade instruction.

You don't have to be a professor to teach at that level.

[Peikko 1,575]

So it's highly likely the guy isn't well qualified? Figures.

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

It doesn't matter what his views are, so long as he can present them in a coherent, reasoned and respectful fashion in a debate. however, I think there can be problems if a student uses a debate to incite hatred. However, a skillful professor would presumably be able to handle that too.

Colleges are trying to deal with the issues of hate speech and freedom of speech. Should a student have to right to present a speech, advocating the systematic extermination of the Jews for example? I think outside of the classroom, students should be given a lot of leeway in expressing Freedom of Speech, but in the classroom, I think there are limitations on what a student can say and when. I'd love to read the student's actual speech to see if he presented his POV as an argument or if he stated it as a matter of fact or authority (marriage should be between a man and a woman) which is propagandist.

Edited February 17, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

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

I don't know if this is an indicator of a general trend in teaching at university level, but it does seem to me that this professor just isn't much good.

It was a community college. In Los Angeles City Schools, they are basically an extension of the High Schools:

Community college located in Central Los Angeles (on UCLA's old campus), serving Central Los Angeles with liberal arts and trade instruction.

You don't have to be a professor to teach at that level.

Yep and his conduct was not professional, but most college classes I took in community college were very casual.

[Peikko 1,575]

It would be a pretty nutty professor who would present an assignment in such a way that one could advocate racial extermination in such a way as to incite violence within the classroom. In other words, I stick by what I said, the teacher wasn't doing a good job.

[Peikko 1,575]

Quite honestly calling a student names is not very professional, aside from any other factor involved.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Actually that is no more propagandist then anything other point of view. Each point of view is legit form of debate. He sounded like he was expressing his point of view and using what he thought was to him a valid point of reference. If it was a fair debate then someone else could come along and use a different point of view and reference material to refute him. As pointed out before the so called professor could have maybe himself refuted the student by pointing out his seeming errors.

The professor in this case dropped the ball big time. All points of view are valid and if one is propagandist then all sides are propagandist.