Jonathan Lopez has filed a lawsuit against a professor and Los Angeles City College over his treatment after giving a speech on the Christian view of marriage in speech class. Lopez alleges that Professor John Matteson had made it clear that he supported same-sex marriage. He claims that Matteson allegedly attacked him verbally, refused let him complete his speech, effectively called him a “fascist bastard” and refused to give him a grade (telling him to “ask God” for his grade).
Matteson is listed as the co-director of Forensics at the Speech Department.
The complaint in Lopez v. Candaele, (CD CA, filed 2/11/2009) was filed with the support of the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom, which litigates such claims. For a copy of the complaint, click here.
Lopez also alleges that Matteson told him that he would make sure that Lopez was expelled and told his entire class after the November election, “If you voted yes on Proposition 8, you are a fascist bastard.”
For the press release, click here.
For the full story, click here.
Mike S:
I read your life summary with great interest and, without trying to embarrass you, I am even more impressed by your accomplishments and opinions than ever before–and I thought that feat was impossible. I respect your tenacity and self-reliance, and must also pay homage to your compassionate treatment of your adversaries. You have never stooped to invective, and that is decidedly uncommon in the blog-o-sphere. Count me in the fan club, and tell me where to send the application!
Buddhaman:The sign of a person with narcissistic personality disorder is there deluded belief that people fear them. Please refer to Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders, by Aaron T. Beck, second edition. Please refer to chapter 11 page 241, hopefully by reading this chapter you can better understand your own disordered need to feel superior by surrounding yourself with sycophants, that parasitize this website. My only question is what was the etiology that triggered this personality trait within you……………
Buddhaman: By the way what was your academic pegigree again? And please try to keep your prevarications down to a minimum.
The only thing I fear in regards to you Buddhaman is that you are going to wind up in Patton State Hospital for the criminally insane…………
By the way I like to stir the kettle with a whole bunch of goodies, I don’t want the braintrust here to get to complacent.
blah blah blah
Your fear of me is just palpable. And very amusing.
And as a matter of fact, I do have a date tonight. Thanks for the reminder.
By the way Buddhaman I suggest that you refer to DSM4 TR, and look up the clinical defintion of BPD. I don’t want you to look any more foolish than you already have the last two days.
So glad to hear from the paragon of narcissism himself, the overly inflated and tragically misundersood one the Buddhaman himself. Hey Buddha it is friday, do you have any hot dates tonight, no I guess not. By the way Buddha you do display some very strong narcissictic personality traits, you may even border on the side of having a full blown personality disorder. This blog is fun though, I get to read the inane prattlings of extremely lonely men who want so desperately to be seen as intellectuals.
Speaking of Florrisant, if you are interseted, it is the premier spot for most paleoentomolgists. It may have more perfectly preserved specimens of lepidptera than anywhere on earth. By the way the largest fossilized Redwood stump is to be found at Florrisant. Fascinating in that Redwoods have been extinct in Colorado since the Tertiary Period. I always am in awe when I stare into the polished window of a beautiful specimen of Araucarioxylon and wonder what types of creatures fed under it’s branches as it photosynthesized under an ancient sun…………
Jon,
You’ve made the assumption I think your worthy of trying to impress. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I’m pretty sure you have borderline personality disorder by the way your posts vacillate between fawning, attack and bouts of self love (in the bad sense), if not a more serious disorder. I don’t care about the opinions of the mentally defective.
No one here feels threatened by you and your supposed acumen because you haven’t demonstrated any. You have injured no one but yourself. You’re just too stupid or insane to realize it. You can’t even realize when you’re being laughed at, can you?
As far as the RCC goes, no, I don’t think much of the Catholic Church. Act like evil jackasses and that’s what you get. They get the respect their cumulative actions deserve. Which is none. If it’s any consolation, I like fundamentalism (of any flavor) even less.
As far as you finding my weakness, unless you’re a hot red head of the female variety, armed with really good beer and can suck start a Harley, you don’t have a chance of finding my weaknesses. Here’s a hint – ego ain’t it, sport. I can argue all day and all night and not let my ego get in the way. It’s called “training”. I’ve made other lawyers lose their cool. In court and in the classroom. Made then resort to the invective you are so fond of – a form of induced Turret’s. I’ve been attacked in here by much better than you and to a one they’ve either run away or come around. What I am good at is pushing people’s buttons, but with you, it’d be like picking on a child. Hardly sporting, but I could piss you off so bad you’d be foaming at the mouth. More than you already are that is. Ask any regular. They’ve seen me do it – it’s quite the show. That I haven’t already done this is the quality known as “mercy”. You think you’re a clever little reptile. You have no idea you’re dealing with a dragon. But that’s okay. The dragon knows.
And the last confrontational douche bag who tried to get to close to me got banned for acting like a predator. Keep it up. I have no power here. I can ban no one. I’m a guest. But what I do have is something you’ll never have.
Respect that was earned.
You think you sound smart, but in reality, you just sound crazy. While it’s not a crime to be an asshole, it say a lot about you that you think that’s a desirable trait. It also reinforces the BPD diagnosis.
Now just like I told the last whack job before JT banned him, I’m done feeding your psychosis.
Seek professional help. You need it.
Bob’s been trying to tell you that in his own very funny way. But some people just like being crazy. So do as you wish. Just don’t expect me to help.
CCD: “Could I add your movie damn educational.”
Today’s film is a dime store psychology piece.
I stand corrected (by Google)
There is such a concept as ‘narcissistic injury.’
However, the observation falls with a flat ironic tone when it’s delivered in the second person with absolute conviction:
“Instead you take it as a narcissistic injury the fact I shared my action today.”
Makes ya wonder.
“Bob I can clearly see you feel threatened by my credentials and acumen in the field of geology and paleobotany, it is to be expected.”
Silly, I’m not threatened by the study rocks and old plants; now if you were an ethnobotanist, then we could talk about the time when, ‘using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants.’
“Hopefully you can corral your bloated ego long enough to find value in other people’s knowledge and credentials.”
You can’t restrain yourself from drifting off topic by spewing invectives laced with self-aggrandizing statements and I have a bloated ego? My you are insufferable.
“Instead you take it as a narcissistic injury the fact I shared my action today.”
I take it as a narcissistic injury? Are you Australian or do you prefer to toss words like you were making a salad?
“Oh well, maybe a climb up Pike’s peak or a wonderful day spent at Florrisant Fossil Bed National Monument might be just the melody for you……..”
Do you mean you have a treatment for my narcissistic injury?
“It is a wonderful place to experience the Rockies and Colorado’s 14er’s and Flatirons.”
Is that yet another pathetic non sequitor or do my narcissistic injury ridden eyes deceive me?
Yes Bob, Esq.
Could I add your movie damn educational.
Bob I can clearly see you feel threatened by my credentials and acumen in the field of geology and paleobotany, it is to be expected. Hopefully you can corral your bloated ego long enough to find value in other people’s knowledge and credentials. Instead you take it as a narcissistic injury the fact I shared my action today. Oh well, maybe a climb up Pike’s peak or a wonderful day spent at Florrisant Fossil Bed National Monument might be just the melody for you…….. It is a wonderful place to experience the Rockies and Colorado’s 14er’s and Flatirons.
Jon Abbey: “I have now realized, I am in a law web blog.”
Wow; nothing gets by you. And here I am wondering why it was “VOTED THE #1 LEGAL THEORY AND LAW PROFESSOR BLOG OF THE TOP 100 LEGAL BLOGS BY THE ABA JOURNAL”
Jon Abbey: “I can party around this puppy for days”
Apparently you missed the point.
http://jonathanturley.org/2009/02/15/los-angeles-city-college-sues-over-christian-based-presentation-in-speech-class/#comment-40043
Prattle on.
Gyges: “Would the Profs. motivation be a factor in this? What if he stopped the speech because it was disruptive to the class rather than based on his opposition to the student’s view point?”
Sure, if the restriction wasn’t content based, it’s an entirely different analysis; e.g. analyzing a law prohibiting the distribution of any pamphlets.
CCD: Much obliged for the “Good will.”
You’re being punny; right?
“Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will.” – some guy
Remember one thing my fledgling legal eagles, there is no crime in this country for being a jerk, mean spirited or an a–hole. Because some students found it offensive to bad! I would have been equally offended and revolted to here the other students who championed the prop measure. The point I’m trying to illustrate is simple. The other students were more than allowed to offend the sensibilities of Mr. Lopez, but how dare he offend them. It seems rather duplicitous for some to defend the legal process and champion the rights of the students and teacher, yet be so horribly shocked by the material and presentation that muckracker Mr. Lopez brought to the classroom. Give me a break!