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Utah: Public university investigates prof for off-the-cuff remarks about Muslim immigration after 9/11

Sep 22, 2018 10:51 am By Robert Spencer

Scott Trotter, senior director of communications at Utah Valley State University, said: “UVU unequivocally supports the constitutional right of individuals and groups to speak freely — and for professors to exercise academic freedom to the fullest protections of the First Amendment.”

Yeah, sure. Modern universities and colleges — from the great (such as Stanford University) to the small (such as Utah Valley State University) are totalitarian one-party states, in which only one point of view is allowed, and those who dissent from the far-Left agenda are vilified, defamed, and forcibly silenced (and sometimes even physically assaulted, as I was by an unhinged security guard, Jim Stankiewicz, at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire). Today’s colleges and universities in America are not remotely centers of higher learning; they are, instead, centers of Leftist indoctrination that turn out thoroughly propagandized bots who think they’re being righteous and wise when they threaten, physically menace, and censor those with differing points of view. This does not bode well for America’s future.

“Public university investigates aviation professor for views on Muslim immigration after 9/11,” by Maggie Malecki, College Fix, September 20, 2018 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

One student’s complaint ends decade of teaching

James Green admits he can get emotional when he talks about witnessing the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in New York City.

He and his wife saw one of the Twin Towers fall. “I mean we could still smell the fires burning at Thanksgiving, 2 1/2 months later!” the retired airline and U.S. Navy pilot told The College Fix in a lengthy Facebook message. “And we had friends who had watched the people jumping to their deaths from the burning towers.”

Green shared his Sept. 11 narrative with the students in his crew resource management class at Utah Valley State University on the 17th anniversary of the attack.

But according to The Salt Lake Tribune, the narrative posted by the adjunct aviation professor on the Canvas course web page closed with these controversial lines:

And it is also why I am “very” opposed to allowing any Muslims to immigrate into the USA! They hate us and always will.

Green emailed his narrative to students three minutes later without the lines about Muslim immigration, but it was too late. One of his students had seen the original Canvas post and complained to the administration.

Now Green is gone from the public university, but he’s not out of the woods yet. The administration told the Tribune that its Equal Opportunity/Title IX Office was reviewing the situation and would take “appropriate action.”

A university spokesperson ignored three requests from The Fix to explain what “appropriate action” could entail, but said Green resigned “without university officials having raised the idea.”

“UVU unequivocally supports the constitutional right of individuals and groups to speak freely — and for professors to exercise academic freedom to the fullest protections of the First Amendment,” Scott Trotter, senior director of communications, wrote in an email.

‘Unsafe learning environment’ 

One of Green’s students, Derrek Studebaker, provided Green’s original post to the Tribune. He told the newspaper he reported his professor’s post to the chair of the School of Aviation Sciences because “it’s not acceptable language.”

“He should be held responsible for promoting an unsafe learning environment,” Studebaker said. “You really can’t say that, especially as a professor for a public institution.”

Green told The Fix that Studebaker did not bring his concerns to the professor first. “If he had contacted me I would have deleted [the post] immediately since that is what I intended to do all along. It wasn’t needed once the emails had been sent.”

The professor’s practice is to email students after posting announcements, because “I’ve learned that students traditionally don’t read course announcements.” Green is skeptical that any other student than Studebaker saw the post before it was removed.

“After sending the email I graded some papers & simply forgot to go back & delete the original message in the announcements” online, Green said.

The professor said he hadn’t even met Studebaker because it’s “very early in the semester.” (The class meets online and has 27 students.) “I was hurt that one student would take such rash action against me when he had no idea of who I am or what I have done.”

Asked why he deleted the Muslim immigration lines from the email to students, Green told The Fix:

When I first wrote the narration of the 9/11 event, it brought back a lot of emotion. That was a very trying time for everyone, especially those us who lived there and experienced it first ha[n]d. … I had commented at the end about how we needed to protect against such events from those same enemies in the future. Then a few minutes later when I sent the individual emails (through the course email system), I calmed down a bit and realized that discretion was probably the better part of valor …

Green wasn’t “obligated” to share his experience with his students, but he thought “they would find it interesting” that he witnessed the attack. His narrative mentioned that he and his wife went to a local church to help survivors of the attack.

“I try to be an outstanding educator, not someone who does just does the minimum to get by,” said Green, who retired with the rank of captain.

He called himself one of the main advocates of letting pilots be armed during flights, leading Congress to create the Federal Flight Deck Officer program. He was one of the first to be trained, and “from that point forward I was armed on every flight every day (domestic flights that is).”

‘He equates terrorists with all Muslims’ (he didn’t)

University officials quickly apologized to Studebaker, the student, after he complained about Green’s post.

Studebaker told the UVU Review that Green’s post “sets a precedent for students to behave in the same hateful way” and creates an unsafe learning environment for Muslim immigrants. (No one has reported that Green’s online class included such students.)

The student “immediately” emailed Aviation Department Chairman Randy Johnson with a screenshot of the post, according to the Review. But Studebaker mischaracterized what Green wrote, claiming that “he equates terrorists with all Muslims in this statement.” Green’s post only mentioned Muslims who seek to immigrate to the U.S.

Johnson thanked Studebaker for notifying him and said the department takes his concerns seriously, while David McEntire, dean of the College of Health and Public Service, told the student he was “very concerned” about Green’s post and had it removed from the Canvas system.

Under pressure from Studebaker, the university notified Green’s class that they would get a new instructor and that “this matter” was under investigation by the equal opportunity office in accordance with two policies, the Review reported.

The first policy is 24 pages long and covers discrimination, harassment and affirmative action. It’s not clear what might apply to Green’s behavior. “Discrimination” is defined as “negative or adverse conduct” toward students “on the basis of inclusion” in a protected class. Again, it’s not known whether Green’s class included Muslim immigrants.

Green’s two-line comment about Muslim immigrants, excluded from his email to students, may not qualify as “harassment.” Such conduct must be “sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive … to limit, interfere with, or deny educational benefits or opportunities of a student, from both a subjective and objective viewpoint based on a totality of the circumstances, including but not limited to the frequency and severity of the conduct.”

The other policy is 15 pages long and covers freedom of speech. Its academic freedom section covers all professors, including adjuncts such as Green, and says they have the “right to examine and communicate ideas relevant to their courses.” But they must not use this freedom “as a pretext to discriminate or create a hostile environment” against students.

“Faculty shall also not use academic freedom or freedom of speech as a pretext to teach controversial matter that is not related to their subject,” it continues.

‘Controversial personal belief that had nothing to do with his core class curriculum’

Trotter, the university spokesperson, cited this section in an email to The Fix, but used the phrase “core curriculum” instead of “subject.”

Green “chose to expound on a controversial personal belief that had nothing to do with his core class curriculum in a written message to his students communicated through a university system,” the spokesperson said. “His written statement immediately caused serious concern among some of our students.”

The professor “unexpectedly announced his resignation” when university officials brought up the matter with him, Trotter said.

The spokesperson did not answer a Fix query about his use of the plural “students,” which suggests someone other than Studebaker also complained “immediately.”

He also did not answer what message it’s sending faculty by investigating their off-the-cuff remarks even when quickly retracted, and narrowly construing their right to incorporate relevant personal experiences into their curriculum….

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Filed Under: academia, Featured, free speech Tagged With: James Green, Utah Valley State University


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Comments

  1. Mac-101 says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 10:55 am

    It’s not lookin good. THEY are successfully acting every aspect of Western Civilization which has made it great. The only ‘Protected Classes” are those who are actively destroying our way of life. Satan is at work and NEVER sleeps!

    • BC says

      Sep 23, 2018 at 3:19 am

      So what! I see nothing wrong with giving a personal opinion, surely that is what the 2nd is for. Has no one the right to their opinions in USA or EU today. Of course we must remember PC originated in USA!

      • Mac-101 says

        Sep 23, 2018 at 9:18 am

        Wasn’t it Woodrow Wilson who started the concept and da Commies jumped on it?

        • Mac-101 says

          Sep 23, 2018 at 3:28 pm

          I take this back. It was the Bolsheviks AND NAZIs who jumped on Col House’s theories. Goebbels especially liked them!

    • larry says

      Sep 23, 2018 at 6:47 am

      Hey Studebaker, how’s this for “unacceptable language….go f**k yourself.

      • Rick says

        Sep 23, 2018 at 1:11 pm

        DITTO from Montana!

  2. Norger says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 11:12 am

    By the same token, this “university” would doubtless frown upon any critical examination of the link between Islamic theology and 9/11, or more broadl, how Islamic theology in fact sacralizes hatred of non-Muslims. There is a great deal of truth in the professor’s statement that Muslims hate us and always will. The devout in fact hate us because that is what their religion commands. But you can’t talk about THAT at a “university.”

    • libertyORdeath says

      Sep 22, 2018 at 11:58 am

      Ever wonder why every muslim who dies fighting anyone is called a martyr? Because they ALL consider themselves to be at holy war with the rest of the world.

      The left will not wake up until it is their own heads that are about to roll…literally.

  3. libertyORdeath says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 11:53 am

    I always wonder why these same liberal “progressives” can never answer as to why Islam is worthy of such special accommodations and deference in comparison to other religions or beliefs.

    Do they defend Christians from subjects that offend them? Would they give the same consideration to the tenets of a religion like satanism or the Nazi’s psuedo religion?

    You may ask, why would anyone be ok with nazi or satanic beliefs and practices?

    Well, consider how much MORE misogynistic Islam is than either. Consider how much more autocratic and inflexible Islam is. Consider the MASSIVE number of deaths caused by Islam, which eclipse the nazi’s totals 100 fold.

    The real reason for the left’sundying support for such an evil cult is that they think that they share the same goal of destroying western civilization as a whole and the USA in particular. What they fail to realize is that the muslims are simple using their ignorance and unwarranted fervor in their current attempt to reestablish an Islamic caliphate that covers the globe.

  4. marble says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 11:58 am

    Either you are for the United States, or you are against the United States. Read chapters eight and nine of the Qur’an before believing the speech of the misinformed or those who lie. Giving up our way of life for sharia is having the greatest nation with the greatest blessings in history going Kevorkian.

    • CogitoErgoSum says

      Sep 22, 2018 at 1:12 pm

      Yes, I keep going back to Quran 9:29. Muslims are commanded by their god to fight against all those who are not Muslims until the non-Muslims submit to converting to Islam or, for those who refuse to convert, fight until they pay the Jizya or accept death at the hands of the Muslims. This is part of being a Muslim who believes in the Quran.

      If someone were constantly fighting against you would you think that person really loves you? If you were married to such a person would you think that perhaps you had gotten yourself into an abusive relationship? Having someone constantly fighting against you would probably result in your thinking that this angry person pounding away at you all the time actually hates you. Maybe some people can love another person while fighting against them all the time but it’s a sick way of showing love. Personally, I don’t call that love at all and I would wish to avoid falling into such an abusive relationship with such a hateful person.

      Perhaps the professor should have said that he’s opposed to Muslim immigration because Muslims are opposed to everyone who is not a Muslim. They are commanded by their god to fight us non-Muslims. Does a person fight against that which he loves …. or is even indifferent towards? The professor spoke the truth but he didn’t go far enough with it. Muslims hate us and always will ….even if we pay them the Jizya or allow them kill us, they will still hate us. The only way they will ever come even close to loving us is if we become Muslims like them and hate just the way they do.

      • Down Under Observer says

        Sep 22, 2018 at 6:13 pm

        Sounds like you are describing “Battered Wife Syndrome” whereby a wife finds staying with an abusive husband and making excuses for his violent behavior easier than leaving him. Is islam this is known as “Burquered Wife Syndrome”.

  5. Krishna says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    I don’t agree with banning Muslim migrants but for his personal opinion it’s not fair to make him resign from the University

    • eduardo odraude says

      Sep 22, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      Until such time as a majority of Muslim-majority nations protect freedom of religion and freedom of speech, there should be a moratorium on Muslim immigration to non-Muslim nations.

  6. rubiconcrest says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    It’s about time that Universities stop ignoring the violence and intolerance promoted by Islam and Sharia. They need to end the knee jerk persecution of anyone who expresses outrage over the inhumane activities promoted in the name of this religion. They attempt to silence critics and ignore the elephant in the room. Shame on them.

  7. Walter Sieruk says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    James Green has every right to declare the truth about Islamic terrorism which plagues the many countries of the world as well as the specific day of the mass Islamic terror murders 9/11 which occurred seventeen yeas ago. The people of that university should have the information and also the knowledge to value the wisdom of America Founding Fathers which may apply to the awful events of September 11, 2001 in that murderous affront against humankind and heinous jihad attack in America occurred by the deluded and evil jihadists operatives of that hideous jihad entity al Qaeda is a tragic example of the harm that men operating under the deception of a false religion can cause. So concerning that past 9/11 jihad affront against humankind and America . First, the violent deadly jihad-minded Muslims are of this malicious and murderous mindset because they have in thoroughly indoctrinated with Qur ‘an based hard core non-watered down Islam. Not some kind of “hijacked” or “warped” Islam. Second, this should also serve as a reminder that Jihadist are still scheming and possible future Islamic murderous jihad attack in Americans homeland carried out by Muslim who are also violent and dangerous jihadists suicide/homicide – bombers /attackers with Islamic delusion they have because of the false doctrines of Islam. Likewise with their mad and irrational deluded Islam quest they are so thoroughly brainwashed and deluded that they actually think of their murderous actions as “martyrdom operations.” This jihad evil and madness is based on the Koranic doctrine, 9:111. , of a far-fetched and nonsensical doctrine of a sex- filled paradise with many virgins, hours, in it for the use only the jihadist/Muslim male who dies as a “martyr” fighting for the cause of Islam. This weird religious/Islamic teaching is found contained the Koran in 44:56. .55:56. 78:31. This bizarre and odd, irrational Koranic doctrine is not open, to the jihadist, to inquiry, questioning, logic or reason. So this blind unreasoning kind of “faith” in the Koran is a reminder that Thomas Jefferson had written. “Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without a rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes helm from the hand of reason and the mind becomes a wreck.” Likewise, Benjamin Franklin had printed in POOR RICHARD’S ALMANACK something which may apply to this topic. For Mr. Franklin had printed “The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.”

  8. D Austin says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 3:39 pm

    “UVU unequivocally supports the constitutional right of individuals and groups to speak freely…”

    First of all, It’s Utah Valley University, located at Orem, Utah. Second, I attended that university and have two bachelor degrees from there. Third, majoring in Digital Media, the leftist professors refused to allow any depiction of any type of weapon, be it genuine, replica, plastic, or otherwise in photo and video class assignments. I was nearly on the verge of suing them for First Amendment violations. Absolutely blatant violations of free speech.

    That administration supports your rights all right as long as it’s their interpretation you go along with!

  9. James Lincoln says

    Sep 22, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    I’m confused…

    What was it that Captain Green wrote in his email that was either unreasonable or inaccurate?

  10. Joe says

    Sep 23, 2018 at 6:55 am

    “He should be held responsible for promoting an unsafe learning environment,” Studebaker said. “You really can’t say that, especially as a professor for a public institution.”

    ———————————————————————————————————–

    People pay money to have their kids indoctrinated with this lunacy.

    These universities are turkey farms. Domesticated turkeys are so stupid, that if left in the rain, they look up and drown. If you yell at them, they die of a heart attack.

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