Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk,uiuc.civil-liberty From: kadie@cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M Kadie) Subject: [alt.politics.correct] Thought police at UNH Message-ID: Followup-To: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk,uiuc.civil-liberty,alt.politics.correct Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1993 21:59:16 GMT Lines: 46 [A repost - Carl] Newsgroups: alt.politics.correct Subject: Thought police at UNH Message-ID: <1993Dec30.135040.7560@msus1.msus.edu> From: lesikar@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU Date: 30 Dec 93 13:50:39 -0500 Check out this month's issue of the New York Review of Books. There is an article by Richard Bernstein entitled "Harassed by 'Sexual Harassment'." It documents the case of one tenured professor of English, J. Donald Silva, at the University of New Hampshire. If the facts are as Bernstein portrays, Silva seems to have been railroaded as the result of a couple of tasteless remarks that he made in class. There is no charge of advances being made to a student, either male or female. The issue seems to be mainly his words in class. The issue is also not one of a _pattern_ of behavior, but rather of a very small number of incidents. The charges brought under that vague catchall formula of "creating a were brought against Silva, posters had been distributed around campus _soliciting_ charges of racism, sexism, homophobia, and discrimination. Silva does not seem to have been granted objective due process, since AA officer Chris Burns-DiBiasio selected and trained the hearing panel. Bernstein suggests that Burns-DiBiasio had influence with the appeals panel as well, which was in fact selected by the university administration. The article is well worth your reading. Silva was suspended without pay for one year. The university also wants him to undergo psychotherapy with an administration approved therapist at his own expense. He is suing the university for wrongful dismissal and violation of his First Amendment rights. The case is to be heard in the forthcoming year. Speech codes and training about sexual harassment are usually introduced with the claim that they are only a means of creating a welcoming environment for women. In fact, at UNH, according to the Bernstein article, these tools are being used as instruments of power and repression to intimidate faculty. sincerely, arn lesikar@tigger.stcloud.msus.edu -- Carl Kadie -- I do not represent any organization; this is just me. = kadie@cs.uiuc.edu = Newsgroups: alt.politics.correct Subject: Re: Thought police at UNH Message-ID: <1994Jan3.184005.7621@msus1.msus.edu> From: lesikar@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU Date: 3 Jan 94 18:40:04 -0500 Reply-To: lesikar@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU References: <1993Dec30.135040.7560@msus1.msus.edu>, Organization: ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY, ST. CLOUD, MN Lines: 17 In article , wmg@grove.psych.umn.edu writes: >In <1993Dec30.135040.7560@msus1.msus.edu>, lesikar@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU writes: >>Check out this month's issue of the New York Review of Books. There >>is an article by Richard Bernstein entitled >>"Harassed by 'Sexual Harassment'." > >Please, which issue? The Dec 2 and 16 issues of NYRB contain no >such article, near as I can tell. Perhaps another? > >William M. Grove | Internet: wmg@grove.psych.umn.edu The article is on page 11 of the January 13,1994 issue of NYRB. sincerely, arn lesikar@tigger.stcloud.msus.edu