Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 11:53pm

Guess who’s back professing…

 

On February 25, 2013, Deandre Poole—an adjunct instructor of communications at Florida Atlantic University (FAU)—engaged his class in an exercise to teach them about the power of certain words and the way that power is based on cultural values. Following the textbook’s instructions, Poole had students write the name “Jesus” on a piece of paper, place the paper on the floor, and step on it.

The exercise offended one student, who exchanged words with Poole.  In turn, Poole reported the student to FAU academic administrators not for his reaction, but the way he treated Poole. When this student went public with his grievances, some media outlets sympathetically portrayed him as facing FAU charges for refusing to “stomp on Jesus.”

The protest sparked interest in the story.

Florida’s Governor, Rick Scott, weighed in.  He wrote FAU’s President calling the lesson “offensive, even intolerant” and requested a report concerning policies “to ensure this type of ‘lesson’ will never occur again.”  U.S. Senator Marco Rubio also weighed in, asking why the student was suspended for “respectfully expressing his religious and conscientious objections” to the classroom exercise.  The Motley Monk posted about the matter here at “The American Catholic.”

Poole denied using the word “stomp” and FAU academic administrators denied punishing any student.  Yet, Poole was placed on leave and barred from campus, FAU citing threats against him, presumably from all of those right-wingnut, gun-toting Christian zealots.

As it’s said, “the rest is history.”

“Really, what does it matter now?” Hillary Clinton would ask.

According to Inside Higher Ed, FAU academic administrators have rehired Poole.  Furthermore, they stated that Poole had done nothing wrong and any decision about the future use of the exercise would be based upon a FAU Faculty Senate investigation.

What’s that mean?

Those administrators have reneged on their previous statement that the exercise would not be used again:

Based on the offensive nature of the exercise, we will not use it again and have issued an apology to the community.  It was insensitive and unacceptable.  We continue to apologize to all the people who were offended and deeply regret this situation has occurred.

Why did FAU’s academic administrators back down?

Perhaps it’s for the reason that the FAU Faculty Senate report finds Poole’s classroom exercise entirely appropriate.  The report then took aim at senior FAU administrators, writing how—by not defending Poole—they “dismally failed” to protect academic freedom.  What irked members of the Faculty Senate, in particular, is the extent to which external political pressure (read: Republican conservatives) influenced decisions that were based upon early media reports concerning what transpired but did not happen as reported.

Poole says “I’m ecstatic,” adding:

I regret the misinformation that was out there and the way the story was characterized.  I wish everyone had all the information to form a more reasonable conclusion…. Members of the public need to be reminded that a university is an institution of higher learning, and is supposed to be a safe place for engaging in controversial issues.  If we can’t have these conversations at the university, where else are we going to have them?

In the name of protecting academic freedom, then, “stomping” on Jesus’ name is absolutely “out” at FAU.  “Stepping” on Jesus’ name is definitely “in.”

Why?

For students to understand better the power of certain words and the way that power is based on cultural values.

Believe it or not, people are going to pay tuition for this communications lesson, one that can be learned for free.  Just state  in public something that’s not politically correct.

Today, this is what passes for “higher education.”

Others might call it a denying “freedom of speech.”  Or, better yet, a “racket.”

 

 

 

To read The Motley Monk’s previous post about the FAU incident, click on the following link:

https://the-american-catholic.com/2013/03/25/who-really-deserves-to-be-stomped-on/

To read the Inside Higher Ed article, click on the following link:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/24/florida-atlantic-rehires-adjunct-center-controversy-over-class-exercise#ixzz2X8aQkOOL

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J.A.C.
J.A.C.
Tuesday, June 25, AD 2013 1:30am

This really is pathetic…University is for learning…what can really be learned by writting the name of Jesus on a piece of paper and stomping on it?…someone…please explain this to me..*sigh*..

Donald R. McClarey
Reply to  J.A.C.
Tuesday, June 25, AD 2013 5:14am

Nothing is learned by this exercise in sacrilege other than that the Professor is not a Christian.

Precisely the same sort of device was used by the Tokugawa Shogunate to ferret out Christians in Seventeenth Century Japan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumi-e

The Professor involved is Vice Chair of the Palm Beach County Democrat Party:

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/palm-beach-democratic-party-vice-chair-demands-students-step-on-jesus/

You can bet your bottom dollar that this jackass with a degree will never have students stomp on Obama’s sacred name!

trackback
Tuesday, June 25, AD 2013 5:42am

[…] L. McDonald, P/G&M Christians Cannot be Anti-Semitic – Pope Francis, Catholic Lane Guess Who’s Back Professing? – The Motley Monk, The American Catholic We Can’t Afford Children, Can We? – Dr. Jeff Mirus, […]

Ray Marshall
Ray Marshall
Tuesday, June 25, AD 2013 8:31am

Poole is a coward. I dare him to have his students place the name Mohammad, Martin Luther King, or, Deandre Poole, on the floor and let the students chose what they want to “stomp” on.

Ray Marshall
Ray Marshall
Tuesday, June 25, AD 2013 8:34am

For those that don’t know what an “adjunct” professor is, is a “part-time” teacher with no benefits who wasn’t hired anyplace as a real professor.

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, June 26, AD 2013 7:14pm

The power of words is an authentic lesson in communication. Victimizing a person, using his name and meaning that the mob ought to pursue this individual singled out as a whipping boy is criminal and cannot teach any communication simply because of the shock and horror of this technique. The power of words in communication is to be taught without abusing the sovereign person. The lightly disguised viciousness of the aforementioned lesson is diabolic. It encourages mob mentality and discrimination. Now, if the professor had offered such an example of throwing a picture of a desk on the floor and stomping on it to portray the make believe stomping on a real desk in real time, or the wind engaging the sea and stomping on the wind to calm the sea (the way Jesus did) the lesson might be better communicated. The eagle is the symbol of the swiftness of Divine Justice. Had the students written “eagle” on the paper and lofted the word into the air, lightheartedness might have ensued. Instead the person of Jesus was blasphemed while the person of the student was assaulted by the vileness of the lesson, basically threatening all persons, especially the students. It is the boot on the neck in picture. Next time write “Poole”, and stomp away.
Adam was given the power to name things. Jesus was named by an angel. Aren’t we all named by our Guardian Angels?

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