Do professors have the right to spew any bullshit they want in their classroom in a public or community college paid for by the taxpayer? Alternatively, how can the sex ed teacher be named Stable Cox?
COSTA MESA (CBSLA.com) — A political discussion in a college class touched off a firestorm.
A college professor went off on president-elect Donald Trump in her Orange Coast College class.
There are now threats of expulsion and threats of legal action.
CBS2’s Stacey Butler listened to the controversial rant. The human sexuality teacher — Olga Perez Stable Cox — called Trump’s election “an act of terrorism.”
“Our nation is divided. We have been assaulted. It is an act of terrorism,” she told the students.
She added, “One of the most frightening things for me, and most people in my life, is that the people who are committing the assault are among us.”
That was part of the teacher’s rant about Trump.
One student was so offended by the speech, he recorded it with his cellphone.
She also criticized Trump’s cabinet picks, advisers and the vice president-elect.
“A white supremacist and a vice president that is one of the most anti-gay humans in this country,” she said.
“At this point it’s not even education anymore, its indoctrination,” said Josh Recalde-Martinez, a member of the school’s Young Republicans Club.
The group filed a formal complaint about the professor’s rant. Another student complained about the teacher on RateMyTeacher.com.
“I felt censored and bullied if I did not agree with her opinions,” the student wrote.
Political opinions she shared in-depth with the class.
“We are way beyond Republicans and Democrats, and we’re really back to being in a civil war,” she said, “and I don’t mean it in a fighting way, but our nation is divided as clearly as it was in civil war times.”
Recalde-Martinez posted the teacher’s rant on his Facebook page. It has 18,000 views and hundreds of comments.
Thursday night, the professor’s union posted a warning on its page. It condemned the student who recorded the video saying, “This is an illegal recording without the permission of the instructor. The student will be identified and may be facing legal action.”
“They wanted it to be known so that maybe we would get scared and take down the video. But to the union I want to say we are not gonna be doing that,” said Recalde-Martinez.
“The unions are acting like thugs, like bullies themselves,” said attorney Shawn Steel.
The attorney is also the Republican National Committeeman from California. He volunteered to represent the Young Republicans.
He said the student who shot the video is afraid he may be suspended or expelled with only a week left in the semester.
“Every student knows it. If you stand up to your professor, 90 percent of the time the professor’s going to punish you,” said Steel.
Butler also spoke to the president of the college who chose not to go on camera because the incident is still under investigation. He did tell her the college encourages a discourse on current events between students and faculty when it’s in context.
Butler also reached out to the teacher and her union for a comment and did not hear back from either one.
Another example of Lefty fuckholes believing they are the only ones qualified to be heard.
Liberal tactic: Run your fucking mouth to a captive audience (even better if you have power over them via grades and/or they’re paying your stupid ass). And then shut them down so they can’t be heard.
Where is the conservative group I can join where we take on these assholes?
Look up your local militia group. Taking on these assholes is in their mission statement.
Greetings,
These professors spew this sh*t because they do not have anything relevant to say. What knowledge is currently locked up in the university that can’t be tapped by anyone with a library card?
Napoleon said something along the lines of Never Interrupt Your Enemy When He is Making a Mistake.
95% of the people currently enrolled in University have made a terrible mistake. While they pay tens of thousands of dollars for info that anyone can get for free, the fast movers are out there adapting and acquiring income producing assets. It is as if they came to the 100 Meter Dash with a boat anchor tied around their necks.
I’m not attempting to be light or amusing when I say these people are mentally ill, paranoid in the extreme. Which is bad enough but, they’re teaching American children.
I’m having trouble getting why everyone has problems understanding the concept of “freedom of speech”. It is especially important for teachers and professors that they NEVER feel that there is any limitation on what they say or write (unless of course it directly impacts the safety of others) because we would never have any progress in science or any other area otherwise. Everyone has the right to have an opinion, even if we think it is completely unfounded or ignorant.
This isn’t freedom of speech – these are captive students – who have paid for a course that are having to listen to the teacher’s personal opinion on a subject that has nothing to do with the the class.
” It is especially important for teachers and professors that they NEVER feel that there is any limitation on what they say or write (unless of course it directly impacts the safety of others) because we would never have any progress in science or any other area otherwise. ”
You are fucked up.
You are a Moran.
If I am ( and did ) putting down thousands for my kid to learn a topic then 100% of the class time better be TOPIC. Not loony toons bullshit spewing from a diseased sphincter.
What the fuck does ” freedom of speech ” Have to do with this post?
Explain yourself with thoughts. Please no feelings that’s how we got here.
You’re part of the problem then Peaknic. If I was enrolled there I’d be asking some hard fucking questions of the school administrators about what the hell I was paying for. If I want to hear that kind of bullshit, regardless of whether it was about Hitlary or Trump, I could just walk outside to the campus common and listen to my hearts content. In the classroom however, where i am PAYING to be EDUCATED, I would expect far better. What is being dispensed in the example above is hate, vitriol, mental illness, childish behavior, partisan bullshit and indoctrination. Sadly, this is what passes as “education” in colleges today.
The prohibition is not on what they say or their right to say it but where and when they say it.
hahahhahhahahha….say that to my esteemed peers…who routinely mob anyone who doesn’t clap for the appropriate amount of minutes when some comrade makes an announcement
say that to all the teachers I know (public schools to college level) who have had to get out before they were blackballed because of it
say that to some of the students I’ve had in my own classes who asked for help because their instructors don’t like their thinking (I remember one history prof who was going to, illegally, fail a Guardsman who had to go on deployment 2 weeks before the semester closed, and used his class to rail on the guy, calling him a “baby killer”…a quick call to the NG fixed that one, but still…there wasn’t any reason to go after that young man like that; it was a witch hunt)
Really? I’ve seen/read hundreds of screeds on this site and in the comments deploring the awfulness of “Safe Spaces” and the demands of pussified college students to never be confronted with ideas that they find offensive or challenges their worldview, and yet you are here crying for the same thing, only from the conservative viewpoint?
I find the intellectual bullying of conservative and libertarian thought just as offensive, but for this crowd to call for the firing of a professor for spouting liberal opinions is the height of hypocrisy.
The point of university is to teach students how to think. You can’t do that if you only hear one point of view. There is no way to police this without it turning to totalitarianism, so everyone just needs to suck it up and be ready to defend your counterpoint arguments with facts and logical reasoning.
So that was my response to the QOTD, in a general sense. Now in this case, if the rant is not being used as a way to teach the topic of the course (which it wasn’t because it is completely unrelated to Human Sexuality), then the professor could be reprimanded to keep their commentary related to the course topic during class time.
As I was taught, the reason for tenure was for academic freedom, so that professors were free to examine controversial theories / topics.
This is not academic freedom, it’s a form of political solicitation. Further it’s not germane to the course.
The professors who do this, are not professor material. I would guess that they never had a proper job, outside of a university.
I think rant’s like this are grounds for a reprimand, and the next time – out the door.
They are used to no opposition, as the article states, professors retaliate when made to question THEIR OWN beliefs.
Just how is the election relevant to a class on “human sexuality”? Why is the university TEACHING “human sexuality” in the first place? Can’t the kids study that on their own every Friday or Saturday night (Sunday nights are reserved for laundry!)
Someone wants a “safe space”, when reality decrees “there are no safe spaces other than those you create for yourself / loved ones by force of arms”.
James, you ask: “Just how is the election relevant to a class on human sexuality? Well, since the politicians have been screwing the citizens for years, a class on human sexuality is as good a place to study politics and any class.
With the being said, the teacher is pretty clearly an a-hole.
Orange Coast College = Day Care Center for Extended Adolescence. Imagine Olga with a job at a STEM school: Ah hah hah hah! Sorry, kids, but the Little Golden Book of American History does a better job than Olga, who has no business in a learning institution. And Josh, if they give you the boot, consider yourself lucky; you’ll have more time to learn a useful trade in which none of your teachers will have anything in common with Olga.
We used to call schools like this: high school with ash trays. They don’t even have ash trays any more.
How about: Clown college of comic book knowledge.
So Ms Perez Stable Cocks thinks she’s been assaulted? The assault is only just beginning.
OK …. professors spew bullshit, for sure.
Is this a surprise to anyone?? They were spewing bullshit back when I was in college in 1975!! Of course, not my computer-sci professors. But the history, sociology types … and the little ex-nun skank-ho who taught a course I took as an elective “Women in the Bible”.
Let’s get this straight … government should stay the fuck out of it. The last fucking thing we need is for govfuk types to step in.
To answer the question; NO, they don’t have the right to spew whatever the fuck they want. Just like you don’t have the right at your job. Professors, like you, answer to their boss. THEY determine what is allowed, not allowed. And if you don’t like it, your only option is to leave.
Of course, what if the boss allows the professor to say whatever the fuck they want? So be it. What do you propose otherwise? Fire the prof … even if they have tenure? Why open that can of worms?
Here’s the best solution …. let your feet do the talking. Parents and students have the responsibility to know what is going on. You don’t like the bullshit? Go to another school.
I have two STEM degrees (graduated in 1971) and I never heard any kind of ranting like this. I took some poly-sci classes and econ – we had discussions – but nothing like this crap.
I hope sports franchises / schools / other public facing jobs – write a prohibition of this into their employment contracts.
Stucky said:
“And if you don’t like it, your only option is to leave.”
Bullshit! You’re paying your money to be educated. Most of us already know that some group or another is crazy. A professor pointing this out is not “educating” anyone. That professor is robbing you of the education you paid for. Simply walking away is NOT an option.
Options? I’d demand to be educated according to the course curriculum and syllabus. If that’s not an option then I’d demand a FULL fucking refund and if that is not forthcoming I’d sue for my money back in addition to compensation for the time I wasted believing that I was there to be educated when in fact the only thing being “sold” is indoctrination.
Well, I’m going to add something here:
I teach/taught Composition (used to be Composition and Rhetoric, which is what it should be and what I like to keep it as much as possible) — the goal is to get people to formulate effective thesis with successful support (which means good research and good writing). In order to do that correctly a student does need to apply critical thinking skills. One of the ways to do this is to get them considering the opposition as well as potential audience apathy to the topic support your thesis, less than that won’t cut it.
That means as the instructor I’m duty bound to challenge the hell out of you if you’re in my class — if you’re conservative, I’m going to be liberal; liberal — conservative; libertarian — I hate free markets; socialist — I love free markets; etc. This means as a student, you’re probably going to hate my guts, and that’s ok. As long as you produce a well written paper, my personal opinions don’t matter (except for the one student whose topic was in defense of letting terrorists and serial killers have free rein…dudette, just no, but it was a truly crappy paper anyway).
I’ve had a lot of students who got As that were surprised — I was such a meanie contrarian while they were writing it — and some who thought they’d found out what instructor wanted them to write who were horribly disappointed with their grade. And that means I’ve gotten some glowing evaluations and in others I was literally the worst person in the world — that’s the way of it.
I have become less of an asshole with age, so there’s that, and probably for the better (yeah, I used to be far worse of a troll, scary huh?)– teachers learn too during the course of their lives. Although sometimes I worry that I’ve gotten too nice.
Part of the education process, imhao, is to push people…not giving up is a good thing to learn.
I appreciate your reply. Given the story as written above, I don’t believe for a minute that the professor was “challenging” anyone. I also doubt that the vast majority of current college students were taught anything resembling critical thinking or reasoning. If they were, we wouldn’t have this massive divide that keeps getting wider.
I never attended college (I was bored to tears in high school) and that probably shows in my writing. I do remember having to play devils advocate in HS english class where I was challenged like you describe and I actually enjoyed that exercise but I don’t think much of that is going on in modern American education. (I’m 50)
You sound like the kind of teacher I’d like. I think I’m becoming more of an asshole as I age. I already had a pretty low opinion of humans as a race before this pizzagate bullshit came to light and I’m currently staggered at the potential scope of this mess. It’s probably too much doom porn getting me down but once you take that red pill there are some things you can’t unlearn/unsee. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go into a pizza place again with looking for international pedophile symbols. Good thing I make my own pizza at home huh?
In the context of the above – totally agree. In this case however I find it hard to believe that Cocks (spelled on purpose) was attempting anything close to that. She is a human sexuality teacher. The only thing she should be challenging her students on is the merits of Viagra vs. Cialis. I could possibly see a discussion of Trumps comments about how being a celebrity entitles one to as much sex as you want, but that is a stretch. No, this libtard was “triggered” after reading some article on Huffpo or having an argument with some “deplorable”, and decided she was going to let loose on her captive audience. Now the ball is in the students court. My weapon of choice would be to find out if she drinks coffee, and one day put a couple of laxative squares in the mug when she is not looking. Then she could debate the merits of trans-gendered bathrooms with the porcelain throne for a while.
I think these problems will work themselves out. You want to pay your hard earned money for your kids to get an education, you choose school A, since school B spends most of its time “teaching” your kids about nonsense social issues. The fedgov student loan scam won’t last forever. When it ends, school B will go under, and along with it all the useless professors of nonsense since no one is going to actually pay money to hear this nonsense.
I have three – and the first was earned 1981, before the madness became so prevalent. Master’s and Doctorate programs have few electives, so I was generally spared it there too. Also, engineering programs are more conservative than humanities, so I was fortunate there as well.
I still got to hear about some of it from the underclassmen in the student lounge, or a few classes I assisted / helped out in. The crap they spout like scriptures these days! I got out before the bathroom wars started, but I don’t doubt those are ongoing as well.
Bathroom wars, Pizzagate, “spirit cooking” – it’s great times for degenerates!
Yeah, I read an article that stated her class was very popular among the students. I guess so, easy “A.” How hard is it to know about sex?
My experience was the same as Stuck’s. My Freshman year started out tough because I was resisting their sermons, but then I figured out that the dumb fucking liberal profs were the easiest to get an “A” with. You just had to echo back their liberal bullshit in class and on assignments. Work didn’t even have to be good, you just had to show you were a believer. Sad but true. This was only in the bullshit “required” liberal arts courses and didn’t apply to the science and engineering classes. Those profs, for the most part, kept their politics to themselves.
“Bullshit! You’re paying your money to be educated.” —— IndenturedServant
OK. But, did someone put a gun to your head to go to that school /take that class? Or, did you do so voluntarily. I’m surprised you take this position, because I know that you are a strong believer in personal responsibility.
There are few, if any, surprises in college. It was that way even back in the 1970’s before social media and the internet. We KNEW damn well who was good professor, the bad, and the crackpots. That knowledge is even easier to get today. And if you go to a libtard college …. what? … you’re telling me students don’t know what they are getting into? Balderdash!
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“I’d demand to be educated according to the course curriculum and syllabus. If that’s not an option then I’d demand a FULL fucking refund …” ——- I_S
I appreciate the passion.
It’s also completely impossible to implement, imho. Imagine hoards of Tom, Dick, and Janes screaming “This course didn’t follow the curriculum!” …. “This teacher taught bullshit!!!” …. “I didn learn nuffin!!!” ………. jeebus effing krispus, that would be a clusterfuk of Biblical proportions.
Fuck everybody else. If they want to wallow in bullshit and lies more power to them. As a fresh high school graduate I might have been the same but as an adult I’d become such a thorn in their side they’d have to deal with me. Hell, they’d probably be happy to refund double my tuition just to be rid of me!
My mom was VERY good at calling people on their bullshit and I learned well!
Indent Service ,I call you out ,big boy.Now what is it you were saying ?
“Neigh, Stable-Cox is more than a name, it’s a preference. Excuse me sir, but I have to piss like a race horse.” she whinnied hoarsely while waddling bowlegged towards the faculty lounge, as the effort swept through her matted mane.
As most outspoken people on the left they have some uncanny ability to maintain an income stream from the very people they detest . The working parents and students that pay her salary have little ability to withhold payment or control what is said but using her classroom as a bully pulpit to push her personal political agenda is to say the least not professional and to pass judgement on students that disagree with her opinion about the election is probably criminal ! Highly educated people that are compansated by others need to show some respect for other opinions as they expect respect for their own ! Adults with tempered intellect can disagree with out catastrophizing every detail . Perhaps she should perform some community service helping people injured by her liberal agendas results like the Affordable Health Care Act failure
Community service? I was thinking more like blowjobs for tax payers.
Well, as an English prof who lost her job back in the day for “laughing in a sarcastic and derisive fashion” at a history prof for using Zinn and Chomsky as his class texts, and nearly lost the non-tenure track position, but hey better than what I had, which was working at a pig farm job this fall for calling Hillary an “evil old harpy who the Democrats should have their heads examined for running”, I would say that no, no profs can’t say just anything and get away with it.
But that’s a lie.
You can say anything you want IF you are saying “right thoughts”.
If you don’t say “right thoughts”, then no…and eventually they will find a way to “get” you (yeah…I’m probably not going to last too much longer unless something big changes, which I doubt).
In fairness, the Hillary remark could have gotten me into trouble, because it was in the teacher breakroom with the door opened. But that was only after having two tag team me while I was working on a lesson plan and minding my own business (which is the best thing to do when you have to live in bat country).
I do think the student who video taped the incident should be expelled.
However, he should be refunded his money under the pretext on a course in human sexuality he thought he’d be video taping something more worthwhile then some rant about Trump.
In answer to the original question,yes,there should be limits on what profs can say,but not much.
What this is really about though is how much our society has changed over the years.Teachers have always given opinions in class and I’ll bet many of you can think back on teachers who either gave life lessons along with the lessons or stimulated your thinking outside of the subject matter.
However,we had a much more homogeneous society “back then,” both racially/ethnically and belief wise.When a person had beliefs far out of the mainstream they may have had a right to express them but they knew that in the public arena truly radical beliefs were not welcomed,appreciated or even tolerated.
Today the minority has gotten control of the levers of power in many institutions of our society and they are shoving their beliefs,goals,laws,etc. down the throat of the majority.
This is a good example of why Trump won the election.