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I faced a similar situation in 2007, although the attacks on me were from conservatives. I urge those who wish to understand how either side of the Left / Right divide can err, to visit my website, http://www.classicalideals.com. Follow the link to My Tenure Case, and peruse the documents for yourself.

The direct link is http://www.classicalideals.com/tenure.htm

Thanks You.
Dr. John David Lewis

Dr. Lewis:

As a conservative, if you were truly dismissed only for your non-conservative philosophy, I would find that unacceptable as well.

However, that said, exactly how many instances (outside of the few overtly religious schools like Liberty) are there of non-conservatives being dismissed or denied tenure in the entirety of academia expressly because of their liberal views?

I probably wouldn’t have to take my shoes off to count that high, would I?

In an academic environment where self-described communists like William Ayers and the macabre Bernadine Dohrn are overwhelmingly embraced as “moderates”, I think that the problem of closed minds in our university faculties is pretty much a one-way phenomenon – to the left. This has been well-documented by surveys of university professors for decades. Conservative academics are routinely physically harassed and/or ostracized and denied tenure at universities all over the country, which are dominated by the left and have been for a long long time.

University faculties, and all other teaching professions down to the kindergarten level, have been deliberately targeted by leftists like Ayers for generations. They understand that their radical remake of humanity can only garner support if they can get to the impressionable young minds early. It’s because our school systems turn out a larger and larger percentage of reliable little lefties every year that the “youth vote” went for Obama this year.

To hold up the one or two instances of (possible) discrimination by conservatives in academia while saying “Look – they do it too” is disingenuous at best, and phony moral equivalence in any case. Magicians call this “misdirection”. Keep the sucker’s eye on what is being done by the right hand while the left hand is doing the real damage.

As an art world professional, and as an individual who teaches college occasionally, I sympathize with Mr.Filozof: it cannot be overstated how intolerant American colleges have become. Worse, similar to the most dogmatic Islamist, they don’t even seem to realize that there is another viewpoint, another world out there; there’s is a world without relativity. People who don’t subscribe to their view are inferior, defective, and must be ejected.

I wish him well with his suit, its just a matter of getting before normal people on a jury.

Another illustration of the consistent truth that the liberal fetish for “diversity” doesn’t extend much beyond diversity of appearance and certainly not to the intolerable academic innovation of diversity of thought

I can understand Dr. Lewis’ feelings, but I think there are a few key distinction between his circumstance and that of Mr. Filozof. First, the action taken against Dr. Lewis was not dismissal, but rather denial of tenure. One may argue that in the academic world to be denied tenure is effectively the same, but in case the injured still brings home a paycheck while they seek a more welcome work environment, while in the other they do nto have that luxury.

But more important, I believe, is that while MCC is a public school receiving state and federal funds, Ashland University is a private institution that clearly states both its historical ties to the Brethren Church and a “long-standing commitment to Judeo-Christian values.” While one may not agree with the decission, I think it is entirely within the rights of a private college to grant or deny tenure on any basis it chooses, including if the personal philosophy of the applicant supports/detracts from the school’s mission, values and/or standards.

…“the taxpayers would be shocked to know how intolerant and bigoted many of the faculty members there are.” In New York State? Doubt it.

Dr. Lewis, do you really see a comparison here?

sumbandave spells it out very well, but DO YOU UNDERSTAND his explanation?

If you don’t then I can see why you are liberal. Lack of critical thinking ability is often a symptom of liberal mental disorder.

Because of the nature of his firing and the reality of the blacklist, which his former employers no doubt aided and abetted, if he wins his case the award is going to be huge in his favor. They will owe him back pay and benefits, plus everything he would have lost in pay and benefits going forward throughout the rest of his expected career.

He will never get another job in academia. This we know for certain, given the the way the Left controls academia. The state of New York is going to have to get out the checkbook and there are going to be a lot of zeroes after the digit.

Good. Smack ‘em hard and keep on whacking them. I have absolutely no pity for academia. Years ago, when I was a Jesuit seminarian and aspiring Marxist intellectual I saw how thoroughly the Left controlled everything. This isn’t going to change soon, so he’s not likely to get another job teaching.

I say screw them all BIG TIME.

“Justice delayed is justice denied.” This is an old maxim of Anglo-American law. Filosof has had to spend four years just to see that his case isn’t rejected out of hand. Now he has another year at least before a verdict, more if the MCC legal beagles delay things, as lawyers can do easily. Even if he gets his job back the other faculty there are sure to make his life Hell, hoping he’ll not be able to stand it and just resign of his own accord. And he can forget any promotion.

This is a pretty foul piece of political harassment, but it is likely to be an all too common tale in the near future.

I encourage all conservative academics to document their cases and pursue them in court. We can’t allow political harassment to continue; our rights and freedoms need to be asserted in the courts. You should band together through a website and dedicate your efforts to throwing out the communists out of academia. This is a free country only if we use our freedoms and are protected by our rights.

Fight liberalism everywhere but especially in schools…If they get the children they get the world!

As a conservative academic — closeted — waiting for tenure, I seriously believe the bias in most universities and colleges is so entrenched that it will NEVER change. Perhaps it is time to build a new bunch of institutions that espouse free inquiry, which is itself a conservative value.

I was surprised to hear college academics remark that someone had applied for a job at their institution who was from Utah. They knew he wasn’t Mormon, however, because a Mormon would never be considered. I’m not Mormon, but was truly shocked to hear ‘educated’ people say this.

I guess the term ‘liberal’ has different meanings to different people and diversity and inclusiveness only applies to those that think like you do.

I long for the days when opinions of all kinds were supposed to be the norm on college campuses. What happened?