You better toe the leftist politically-correct line or get expelled.
________
False promises of academic freedom
May 6, 2005
If you want to get a real glimpse of the thought-tyranny of the
academic Left, you should look at the case of Scott McConnell, who was
recently expelled from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., because his
personal beliefs didn't fit within the school's indoctrination grid.
The Left, through an extraordinary process of self-deception,
routinely congratulates itself for its enlightenment and
open-mindedness, but the slightest scrutiny of its behavior in
academia alone puts the lie to its claims. Sadly, the Left has even
sunk its tentacles into Jesuit colleges like Le Moyne.
McConnell was pursuing a masters in education at Le Moyne. He
achieved a 3.78 grade-point average for the fall semester and an
"excellent" evaluation for his outside classroom work at a Syracuse
elementary school when he made the mistake of relying on the
university's promise to honor students' academic liberty and due
process.
In its handbook, Le Moyne boasts, "As a comprehensive college,
accredited by the State of New York and the Middle States Association,
Le Moyne shares the ideals of academic freedom found in American
institutions of higher education."
Among McConnell's unforgivable sins were his audacious dissent from
the university's dogma extolling multicultural education and his gross
insubordination in asserting in a paper that "corporal punishment has
a place in the classroom."
Notably, McConnell received an A- on his blasphemous paper from Prof.
Mark J. Trabucco, who also wrote him a note saying his ideas were
"interesting." But when Trabucco forwarded the paper to the department
chair, Cathy Leogrande, McConnell got his academic head served to him
on a platter.
On Jan. 13, 2005, in an act of compassion that liberals are so famous
for, Leogrande sent McConnell a terse letter summarily ejecting him
from the graduate program. In the introductory paragraph, Leogrande
reminded McConnell, conveniently, that he had been "accepted to the Le
Moyne College Graduate Education program on a conditional basis."
In the second paragraph, Leogrande slapped him in the face with this
lightening bolt: "I have grave concerns regarding the mismatch between
your personal beliefs regarding teaching and learning and the Le Moyne
College program goals. Based on this data, I do not believe that you
should continue in the Le Moyne M.S.T. (Masters of Science for
Teaching) Program. You will not be allowed to register for any
additional courses. Your registration for Spring 2005 courses has been
withdrawn."
Note that Leogrande did not list McConnell's academic performance as
a reason for his
dismissal, merely that his personal beliefs weren't in synch with the
school's propaganda. Note also that Leogrande didn't give McConnell
any opportunity to respond prior to kicking him out on his ear. She
merely told him, perfunctorily, that if he wanted to discuss the
matter further he could contact a certain person to schedule an
appointment. How touchingly sensitive!
McConnell then wrote a letter to Dr. John Smarrelli Jr., Academic
Vice President, informing him that he wished to appeal the decision to
expel him. He reminded Smarrelli that in expelling him, the college
had violated its own mission of academic freedom and that nothing in
any information provided by the college indicates that a student's
"personal beliefs would or could play a part in my ultimate acceptance
to or continuing involvement with the program."
Smarrelli, rather than responding directly to points McConnell raised
in his letter, copped out, repeating that McConnell would not be
permitted to appeal because he had only been "conditionally accepted."
Fortunately, McConnell is not taking this injustice sitting down. He
has filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement and damages for wrongfully
expelling him. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
(FIRE), a nonpartisan civil liberties organization dedicated to
defending individual rights in higher education, is assisting
McConnell with his case.
I contacted FIRE's president, David French, who told me, "This is one
of the most brazen examples of censorship and summary expulsion for
the expression of dissenting views I have ever seen."
French made two other excellent points. First, it's fine for a
private school to make up its own rules, but it ought not to be
permitted to hold itself out as a bastion of academic freedom and then
deliver censorship. Second, if the school chooses to recognize only
one educational philosophy, it is honor bound to notify its applying
students in advance so those who run afoul of it don't end up wasting
serious amounts of money and a year of their lives, as in the case of
Mr. McConnell.
McConnell's mistake is that he dared challenge politically correct
dogma concerning corporal punishment and multiculturalism. Here's
hoping he prevails in his lawsuit, and, in the process, exposes
Leftist academic tyranny, censorship and hypocrisy for what it is.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/davidlimbaugh/dl20050506.shtml
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