I've been reading a lot lately about liberty on America's college campuses. My favorite of the books I have read thus far, is Alan Kors and Harvey Silverglate's The Shadow University: The Betrayal of Liberty on America's Campuses.
I came to this paragraph and just stopped reading. It had to be blogged about even if I feel very, very sick right now.
In April 1997, the Claremont McKenna College suspended a student for a newsletter in response to charges from three female readers that the publication created "a hostile environment" making his return to the college dependent on successful completion of sexual harassment sensitivity training. The Southern California chapter of the ACLU took the case to the Pomona Superior Court, arguing that the newsletter was obviously protected speech. Judge Wendell Mortimer, Jr., however ruled ingeniously that the newsletter "had the potential to create a hostile environment"... --Alan Kors and Harvey Silverglate, The Shadow University: The Betrayal of Liberty on America's Campuses, 179Never forget that censorship can -- and has -- happen here.
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14 comments:
That's absolutely sickening!
Do you ever feel compelled to look at both sides of an issue?
Also, your comments instructions indicate that you will "delete any post that does not add to the conversation..." Are you the pot or the kettle?
Honestly, do you think at all before you post this stuff? I actually remember reading about this case on some "CMC Exposed"-type website last spring, and even in that portrayal--written by a bunch of "un-PC" CMC guys--the issue was clearly more nuanced than your post would suggest.
Here's one link after 18 seconds on Google: http://www.splc.org/report_detail.asp?edition=18&id;=173
Actually, if you want a chance to do your intrepid reporter thing, go off campus (internet-wise) and see if this website is actually still up:
http://www.cmcstudents.com/
I think its the one I remember looking through last spring, and it looks like CMC's internet system is blocking it. I just get a 403 error...
I simply posted a paragraph from The Shadow University.
I think it's a very open question of whether or not the material was libelous or sexual-harassing.
The Leonard Law, as you know, protects student press rights. I see no mention of sexual harassment in that law. So therefore you cannot censor it.
If anyone has the actual newsletter, we could make our own determinations.
Actually, you stated quite clearly that you thought this was a sickening example of censorship, without really knowing what you were talking about.
Where was your love of students' freedom of expression when you viciously attacked Adam Kokesh's satire of David Horowitz's ludicrous hate-a-thon last semester?
Quote: "Better yet for Kokesh if you cry satire, you've got protected speech. You don't go to jail. Pity."
http://claremontconservative.blogspot.com/2007/10/faking-hate-crimes-101.html
You've got your ass covered: you never *actually* stated that you thought Kokesh should be imprisoned or censored. But I doubt you would have written a blog post defending his right to free speech.
The prison statement was a reference to Kerri Dunn, who did fake a hate crime. I think that the "satire" of Kokesh wasn't a satire at all, but I don't believe he ought to serve time in prison but I do recognize the double standards that are used to silence some students and protect others.
http://allsp.com/l.php?id=e37
Gerald Brofloski: "You see, Kyle, we live in a liberal-democratic society, and Democrats make sexual harassment laws. These laws tell us what we can and can't say in the work place, and what we can and can't do in the work place."
Kyle Brovslofksi: "Isn't that Fascism?"
Gerald Brofloski: "No, because we don't call it Fascism."
Brad Kvederis lives! I was there when the newsletter (The Wohlford Free Press) was creating so much scandal on campus in the Spring of 1997. As I remember, the newsletter (among other things) implied that some of the girls living in Wohlford were sluts, and they, quite naturally, took offense. In retrospect, it seems like they could have sued Kvederis and his pals for defamation or slander rather they expecting the college to shut them down. Btw, this episode is also recounted in Peter Bernstein's excellent book "You Can't Say That! The Growing Threat to Civil Liberties from Antidiscrimination Laws". Relevant passage here: http://tinyurl.com/243awk.
Thanks for the information, Richard. I love the last line: That Brad and the school settled for an undisclosed amount of money.
God bless him.
What's up with the anonymous post above Richard? That's completely irrelevant to the topic and he shows no source or statistics to prove his point.
This is very common.
Thanks for pointing it out to me, Anonymous.
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