From this morning’s Inside Higher Ed:.....A plan to add a shower to the private restroom in the president’s office of Santa Ana College has been halted. The Orange County Register reported that trustees of the Rancho Santiago Community College District put a stop to the project, which had already started, after word of it leaked to them. Erlinda Martinez, president at Santa Ana, said she needed the private shower because she must frequently change from business attire to cocktail attire when she leaves her office to go directly to receptions in the evening.
But trustees said that the spending sent the wrong message. The Register reported that private showers are common for corporate CEO’s, but not for college presidents, many of whom manage with the same bathrooms used by other employees in their buildings.In this morning’s LA Times: Lawsuit targets history teacher's comments:
.....A San Juan Capistrano high school student and his parents filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging that his history teacher violated his constitutional rights by making "highly inappropriate" and offensive statements in class regarding Christianity.
.....James Corbett, who teaches Advanced Placement European history at Capistrano Valley High School, consistently "demonstrates a sense of hostility toward religion," causing Christian students to "feel ostracized and treated as second-class citizens," according to the lawsuit filed in federal district court in Santa Ana by Chad Farnan, 16, and his parents, Bill and Teresa.
.....The lawsuit contends, among other things, that Corbett told students during class that "when you put on your Jesus glasses, you can't see the truth"; said that religion is not "connected with morality"; compared Christians to "Muslim fundamentalists" who want women to "stay pregnant, barefoot, and in the kitchen and have babies until your body collapses"; and suggested that churchgoers are more likely to commit rape and murder….
.....[Farnan's mother] said her suspicions were aroused on the first day of school when her son -- a sophomore honors student required to take Corbett's class for college admission -- asked her whether America was founded on Christian values, which he said his teacher had denied.
....."He had learned in the eighth grade that our country was founded by persecuted Christians," said the mother, who describes her family as nondenominational Christian, "so I sent him to school with a tape recorder."....
24 comments:
Doesn't your chancellor have a private shower/bathroom in his Taj Mahal of a building? Wasn't there some scandal about the cost of tile for it? Where was the Register when that was going on in your district?
Raghu has a shower in his office?
I have a hole in the ceiling of my classroom.
I am extremely offended that a teacher would actually say things that offensive in a public school! i hope they fire that teacher for violating these kid's rights!
If, by "America," one means the USA, then it was founded on Judeo-Christian "values" only in the sense that, culturally, the founders were Europeans, and Europe is undeniably "of the Judeo-Christian tradition."
Jefferson was a Deist, as were numerous intellectuals at the time. By Jewish or Christian standards, a Deist is an Atheist.
These persecuted Christians--the Calvinist Pilgrims and Puritans, I suppose--did not tolerate other Christians, let alone atheists.
Re religion and morality: no doubt this is a reference to the famous "Eurthyphro problem," which arises in Plato's Euthyphro, the upshot of which is that, if one regards morality as the commands of God, one makes hash of morality. As far as I know, no one has ever refuted that point.
why is this teacher even talking about his religious beliefs in class? he is a european history teacher... stick to the topic!
Hey Chunk here is the original link of my story so you don't have to quote Inside Higher Ed:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/college-president-shower-1941068-office-hanna
Raghu showers with Tracy Daly in his office? REALLY?
"why is this teacher even talking about his religious beliefs in class? he is a european history teacher... stick to the topic!"
What the hell? Are you that ignorant. How do you expect to teach European History, hell ANY History class, without talking about religion. Obviously his religious views are going to be incorporated into what he lectures.
I highly doubt any of the "quotes" in the paper are in context, in fact i think the whole thing is a load of shit. It'll get thrown out.
Can't you people read? He wasn't talking about *his* religious beliefs, but the beliefs of the founders of this country. Obviously, anyone who thinks America is, or ever was, a Christian country doesn't know very much about Christianity, or the supposed "Second Commandment" of Jesus. Unless, of course, you want to classify or "spin" such things as slavery and child labor in factories a "tough love" of some nonsense like that. Nor does he know much about the significance of the scumbag Calvinists who persecuted the native Americans. THEY are not the founders of the country, any more than were the nasty Burgesses in Jamestown.
You're a loser, Crosby!
As a former student, Corbett has always been opinionated but he looks at topics from different perspectives and spark debates. He is very bright and funny. I knew he was not trying to influence us or anything like that. Chad had the choice to drop the class but did not, which PISSES me off. He brought the recorder for other reasons. (evidence?)
Well, we'll just see what the court thinks about Mr. Corbett now won't we, 9:51?
It appears Erlinda's career may be going down the drain. Another chicana liberal queen bites the dust!
ah yes, the parade of "Chicana liberal queens" - what the hell are you talking about?
I've been in that parade!
Me too!
It's now an annual event celebrated in many communities across the country.
I like to think I'm an honorary Chicana liberal queen.
i am also a former student of Dr. Corbett's and i absolutely hated him as a teacher! he was comepletely biased and extremem in everything. he told us that god doesnt exist and that if we believe in him we are fools! you cant do this in public school! he would basically tell you what to think and anyone who disagreed was too imtimidated by his aggression to speak up! i hope he goes down!
GO CHAD FARNAN!
hey i also had that teacher and he was a complete douche! im jewish and i was offended by almost everything he said in class! this is not acceptable behavior in a public school and i too hope he is fired for his bigotry!
Did Corbett also teach you that apostrophes don't exist? What about capitalizing the first words of every sentence? How about the pronoun I?
The majority of high school teachers push Christianity in their lessons, so I can't help feeling a bit of sympathy for Corbett taking the opposite view (I have 2 who recently graduated from CUSD). In addition, they frequently ask "compare and contrast" questions on exams where they assume the students are familiar with Bible lore (without having discussed said lore). And here's another way of looking at it: as "offensive" as his comments may have been, I'll bet his students didn't snooze through class. They probably spent a little bit of time THINKING.
Who says teachers are supposed to be inoffensive? My inspiration to become a teacher was a book called "Teaching as a Subversive Activity." Challenging the prevailing mythologies in our culture, whether they're religious, social, or political, is what real education is all about.
If folks don't want an education, they're free to stick to their Sunday school lessons or the political wisdom of George W. Bush.
Why are these christian types so easily threatened? Is their faith that fragile?
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