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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Professor fired over comments on homosexuality gets $100,000
By
Lisa M. Krieger
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A San Jose City College professor fired for classroom comments about the origins of homosexuality will get $100,000 from the school in a legal settlement announced Thursday.
The incident also will be removed from June Sheldon's transcript — but she won't get her job back.
For two years, attorneys have battled over exactly what was said in Sheldon's classroom on June 21, 2007, after a quiz in Human Heredity. The professor, whose cause was championed by an alliance of conservative Christian attorneys, acknowledged that she suggested a connection between an expectant mother's stress and male homosexuality. But an offended student accused the instructor of offering her own, more extreme views, not suitable for classroom discussion.
The case was about whether the lecture was protected under the First Amendment? Was it science? Or an offensive personal opinion?
The settlement doesn't answer those questions — it merely means that both sides agreed to stop fighting. Because the case didn't go to trial, the U.S. District Court in San Jose couldn't rule in either party's favor.
"A settlement doesn't establish any law," said Stanford law professor Hank Greely. "It's an interesting straw in the wind." Professors have First Amendment rights in the classroom, said Pam Karlan, Stanford professor of public interest law. But they're more limited than the rights as the man on the street — or the even rights of the same professor, in their scholarship.
"In the classroom, you are protected if you give a presentation that is pedalogically responsible," said Karlan.
"The classroom is a place where teachers are hired to speak," said Karlan. "So if I am hired to be an engineering professor, I don't have the right to teach about music, or my political beliefs, except if they are connected to what I've been hired to teach. You have a huge amount of rights in the classroom, but you need to stick to the subject."
According to Sheldon, she simply tried to explain the complexity behind the roots of homosexuality, saying that it may be influenced by both genes and the environment.
She contends she referred students to a genetic example mentioned in the textbook, as well as "the perspective of a German scientist who found a correlation between maternal stress, maternal androgens, and male sexual orientation at birth." But a student — who filed a complaint about "offensive" conduct — heard something completely different.
The student alleged that Sheldon said maternal stress caused male homosexuality, and that "there aren't any real lesbians — that women just get tired of relationships with men" Further, the student said, Sheldon stated, "there are hardly any gay men in the Middle East because the women are treated very nicely." The student also said that Sheldon added this advice: If men wanted a strong son, they should treat their wives nicely; if they wanted a "sensitive" son, they should abuse their wives.
Comments on the popular website "Rate Your Professor," where Sheldon scored a 2.3 of 5 for her 2007 instruction, seem to corroborate the student's complaint. About half cited examples of Sheldon's personal story-telling. "She has her agenda to push on us," wrote one. "She has ridiculous personal opinions," wrote another. Added another: "She wanders from coursework with personal stories." After the incident, Sheldon was fired by the District's Board of Trustees in February 2008; she sued in June.
Sheldon, a part-time professor without tenure, was defended by the Alliance Defense Fund, which describes itself as " a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith." That is the same group that sued to stop same sex marriage in California. They trumpeted the settlement, claiming triumph for teachers' freedom of speech in the classroom.
"Professors shouldn't be fired simply for doing their jobs as educators," said ADF Litigation Staff Counsel David J. Hacker on Thursday. "Professionally addressing both sides of an academic issue according to the class curriculum is not grounds for dismissal; it's what a professor is supposed to do."
Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, which joined in the litigation, said, "The actions of San Jose City College in firing Professor Sheldon were both outrageous and illegal. This case is an alarming, all-too-real illustration of the insidious efforts underway on many college campuses to stifle alternative viewpoints."
Disagreeing, the San Jose Evergreen Community College District said Sheldon was not exonerated. They admitted no liability, and noted the Sheldon voluntarily agreed to dismiss her claims.
To know whether Sheldon was unjustly fired, "We would need to learn an awful lot more," said Stanford expert Karlan. "If Sheldon said `Here is what scientists are thinking,' that's probably protected. But if she said `There aren't any real lesbians or gay men in the Middle East,' that isn't protected."
"If she did have a First Amendment right," Karlan said, "it would have taken a trial to find out."
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© 2010, San Jose Mercury News McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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