Brooklyn College: Possible Investigation of Professor's Expression

Case Materials

• "Education Programs May Have a ‘Disposition’ for Censorship," FIRE Press Release, September 21, 2005: FIRE is fighting an emerging trend in campus censorship. This summer, Washington State University used “dispositions” theory to punish an education student for his political and religious expression, relenting only after FIRE became involved. And just last month, FIRE had to intervene when Brooklyn College professor K. C. Johnson was threatened with a secret investigation for questioning the use of the theory.
• "First Amendment and Academic Freedom Triumph at Brooklyn College," FIRE Press Release, September 14, 2005: In a swift and crucial victory for freedom of speech and academic freedom, Brooklyn College has affirmed that prominent professor K. C. Johnson will not be subjected to an unconstitutional inquisition into his views.  The college surrendered mere days after FIRE came to Johnson’s public defense.
• "Brooklyn College Threatens Inquisition to Silence Dissenting Professor," FIRE Press Release, September 8, 2005: In a direct attack on academic freedom and free speech, the Brooklyn College School of Education (SOE) is seeking to silence one of its most prominent critics, history professor K. C. Johnson.  After publicly criticizing perceived indoctrination and viewpoint discrimination by members of the Brooklyn College faculty, Johnson is facing a possible investigation by a Brooklyn College “Integrity Committee” for his constitutionally protected speech.
• "Letter from Brooklyn College President Christoph M. Kimmich to FIRE, September 7, 2005," September 7, 2005
• "FIRE Letter to Brooklyn College President Christoph M. Kimmich, August 18, 2005," August 18, 2005
• "Letter from Professor K. C. Johnson to Brooklyn College School of Education, June 29, 2005," June 29, 2005
• "Letter from Brooklyn College School of Education to Professor K. C. Johnson, June 20, 2005," June 20, 2005
• "‘Disposition’ Emerges as Issue at Brooklyn College," Jacob Gershman, The New York Sun, May 31, 2005
• "Disposition for Bias," Robert “K. C.” Johnson, Inside Higher Ed, May 23, 2005

Blog Entries

• "The Trouble with ‘Dispositions’," David French, September 21, 2005
• "Professor’s First Amendment Rights Upheld at Brooklyn College," Samantha Harris, September 14, 2005
• "Criticism or Censorship?," David French, September 8, 2005
• "Real World vs. Ideal World," David French, June 10, 2005
• "Shortell Declines Chairmanship After All," Minnie Quach, June 8, 2005
• "Department Chairs and Free Speech," David French, June 7, 2005
• "‘Moral Retards’ and Academic Freedom," David French, June 3, 2005
• "‘Dispositions’ at Brooklyn College," David French, May 31, 2005

Media Coverage

• "Campus Alert: Think like us—or else," New York Post, June 4, 2007
• "Speech on Campus After 9/11: Less Free than It Used to Be?," Jennifer Van Bergen, FindLaw Legal News and Commentary, May 25, 2006: Universities have traditionally been places where debate and the free exchange of ideas have been welcomed. But after 9/11, that may be changing -- as some recent, troubling incidents suggest.
• "Class(room) Warriors," John Leo, U.S. News & World Report, October 24, 2005: It is called dispositions theory, and it was set forth five years ago by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education: Future teachers should be judged by their “knowledge, skills, and dispositions.” What are “dispositions”? NCATE’s prose made clear that they are the beliefs and attitudes that guide a teacher toward a moral stance. That sounds harmless enough, but it opened a door to reject teaching candidates on the basis of thoughts and beliefs.
• "FIRE Protests Threatened 'Inquisition' of Brooklyn College's Dissenting Prof.," Jim Brown, Agape Press, September 20, 2005: A New York college recently accused of threatening to censor a dissenting professor claims it has remained firm in its commitment to academic freedom. Brooklyn College claims it has not begun an investigation of outspoken Professor KC Johnson; however, the statement comes after the instructor was warned he may face such an official investigation.
• "College backs off on dissenting professor," WorldNetDaily, September 15, 2005: Faced with the threat of legal action, a New York City college pledged not to investigate a professor who objected to the school's policy of requiring education students be committed to a particular definition of "social justice."
• " Dissenting Professor Faces Possible 'Integrity Committee' Investigation," Jim Brown, Agage Press, September 13, 2005: A campus watchdog group says a dissenting professor at Brooklyn College in New York is being unfairly targeted by administrators for accusing faculty members of indoctrination and viewpoint discrimination.
• "Prof's protest of 'political litmus test' raises hackles," Linda Seebach, Scripps Howard News Service, September 10, 2005: Such criticism is clearly within the boundaries of academic freedom (after all, Ward Churchill of the University of Colorado is in trouble because of other allegations; he got an official pass on "little Eichmanns"). Johnson's criticism may be mistaken, but it should be taken seriously and the facts alleged either confirmed or denied.

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