Professor fired over class discussion of shootings

[wordsmythe]

Professor fired over class discussion of shootings - CNN.com

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- An adjunct professor was fired after leading a classroom discussion about the Virginia Tech shootings in which he pointed a marker at some students and said "pow."

The five-minute demonstration at Emmanuel College on Wednesday, two days after a student killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus, included a discussion of gun control, whether to respond to violence with violence, and the public's "celebration of victimhood," said the professor, Nicholas Winset.

During the demonstration, Winset pretended to shoot some students. Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate his point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed.

"A classroom is supposed to be a place for academic exploration," Winset, who taught financial accounting, told the Boston Herald.

He said administrators had asked the faculty to engage students on the issue. But on Friday, he got a letter saying he was fired and ordering him to stay off campus.

Winset, 37, argued that the Catholic liberal arts school was stifling free discussion by firing him, and he said the move would have a "chilling effect" on open debate. He posted an 18-minute video on the online site YouTube defending his action.

The college issued a statement saying: "Emmanuel College has clear standards of classroom and campus conduct, and does not in any way condone the use of discriminatory or obscene language."

Student Junny Lee, 19, told The Boston Globe that most students didn't appear to find Winset's demonstration offensive.

[WizardofOz]

Unfortunately this knee jerk reaction in schools will be going on for a while.

[SGT T.]

So in todays society, are we just going to ignore the fact that sometimes unplesentness happens? I mean, when was the last time you saw video of 9/11? I was just at ground zero and its like they are trying to minimalize the entire thing, and now this. Bad things happen, and I know we should not dwell on them, but lets not forget about them either.

[TexKan]

I don't know but I think looking at the schools released statement - perhaps there is more to the story???

I would think the school intended him to offer a listening ear IF the students wanted to discuss it - otherwise I believe that type of fence sitting belongs at the board meetings altho if you notice this was a Catholic school so leads me to believe it was a small private college.

I'm sure he has a good attorney to help him out - but I don't think the UTube addition is gonna help him much. That was in bad taste and I would hope he gathered all his school supplies before he left.

[K C Muffin]

I agree, TK - I also have to wonder how an econ professor would expect to add to any discussion on this event. Surely, he doesn't plan to explore civil rights to own firearms. Surely, he's not professionally able to add to a discussion on the effect of these students' deaths on their families.....just what the hell did he think he was intellectually going to add? Economics of gun ownership? I mean, really. I would think these students would turn to their psych or sociology profs for this direction.

[Highwayman]

...During the demonstration, Winset pretended to shoot some students. Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate his point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed....

Maybe the discussion about legally armed citizens in a classroom offended the sensibilities of the administration that stands by a no gun policy on campus. They have to silence troublemakers that question authority.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by K C Muffin

...Economics of gun ownership?...

There sure is KC. Many of the professors that study the gun issue do it because of economics. Crimes cost society in dollars and cents terms. Stuff like medical expenses, property damage, court costs, incarceration and so on. Deterring crime has a positive economic impact on society. Many of the studies on concealed carry made projections that if all states adopted CC it would save X number lives, prevent X number rapes and save X number dollars.

[K C Muffin]

Oh, yeah - Highway, I agree 100%. It just would seem off if the professor were able to spout off those statistics. Unless support the cause of carrying a gun on campus was his sideline.

[lurker]

Don't they outline the victim and also designate it with an X?

So using Highwayman's formula loosely equates to "X" marks the spot.

[TexKan]

X is really gonna mark his spot................ I hear he was going into actually calling the victims - rich white kids........... nope he's history. He needs to teach at a liberal arts in California..........oooops that won't work - they don't advocate guns much round there. Nope his ass is done for - he's an educated man who let his emotions get in the way of his job and a Catholic college. He knew the score and chose to cheat........... good ridence cause he was out of line and he deserves to be out of a job. His own students don't seem to be takin it tooo hard.