An Adjunct Law Professor from the University of Oregon has been removed from teaching responsibilities after a confrontation with students that was partially filmed. James Olmsted had a confrontation with students protesting immigration policies on March 14th in which he and students exchange foul language and at one point Olmsted advises them to “start a war, get a gun, shoot me first.”
Both sides are shown getting increasingly irate and the videocamera is turned on and off at points. At one point, Olmstead is shown shoving a man and saying “Get away from my space, you prick.” At one point, Olmstead says “I’m part of your performance. You need a protagonist.”
Apparently not. Olmstead, 58, was arrested after the outburst and charged with theft, harassment and intimidation. I am a bit uneasy with the intimidation and harassment charges in a protest situation since Olmstead was exercising his free speech rights. However, he does shove students and grab at the camera when the students are in their rights to film him. Olmstead is shown yelling “If you want this country back, start a f— war and take it back.” I would have still preferred for police to diffuse the situation without criminal charges. However, the theft charge relates to the taking of a cellphone and it is not clear if this was returned or retained by Olmstead.
Olmstead is clearly out of line in his tone and language and physical conduct. The students overall sound much more reasoned and Olmstead himself seems to fluctuate between reason and rage.
Olmstead is a law graduate from the University of California at Davis and is admitted to practice law in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. He taught land-use in the university’s School of Law Environmental and Natural Resources.
Source: ABA Journal
jeaninemolloff,
When I played football, one of the first things I was told; if a fight or scuffle breaks out NEVER remove your helmet. Removing a helmet sends two signals. First, when someone takes off their helmet during a confrontation, it is a surefire cue they are spoiling for a fight.
The second signal it sends is, if you start a confrontation and take off your helmet, you are as dumb as a box of rocks.
Hey Raff, give the guy some credit, at least this prof kept his pants on… š
jeaninemolloff,
When people are conducting a protest, it does not matter what their cause is. We have seen that in court rulings protecting the right of the Westboro crowd to engage in provocative hate speech.
The professor was clearly being an ass. Had I been there, I might have tried to get between him and those he was trying to confront as a means of defusing the situation. Of course, if he grabbed or shoved me aggressively, it would have been a mistake on his part. How serious a mistake would depend on the level of aggression.
If I were his department head or Dean, a serious talk about his fitness to teach would be in order. I have known cranky professors, but if his fuse is that short, maybe he should not be around students.
Speaking of people becoming aggressive. It is a good idea to know something about who you are aggressing. There are a lot of martial arts studios around these days. Many girls and women are taking classes. There was an incident on the TV some time back. I don’t remember what the scuffle was about, but it was caught on camera. This 300 pound guy who looked like a professional bouncer got himself tossed all over a parking lot by a tiny woman. IIRC, she threw him down on the pavement twice and into a brick wall once. She was never knocked off her feet. The scuffle ended when the police got there.
What’s the professor’s hurry? Start a war? Wait a few minutes. We have the Authorized Use of Military Force, so the wars never actually stop. Or start, for that matter.
Actually, Olmsted THREW his helmet, but you can’t see that on this video.
Who were these young activists? What group did they represent and why the secrecy in terms of THEIR identities?
The altercation began when the young woman stated that the prof had no right to ‘fxxking tell them…apparently how to stand up to their oppressors. The prof stated his opinion and the young woman continued to bait him verbally, at which point the prof did unzip his coat in what looked like an aggressive movement. Again, both sides were involved. The young woman who conveniently was NOT on camera was clearly trying to start a problem. She could have stated her case without obscenity and vitriol I have been to similar encounters with meaner opponents and I never acted like her. Both sides are at fault. Furthermore, filming a private citizen is NOT your perogative depending on the state. The filming set up an antagonistic situation. Again, the young activists were using the same rude strategies as the tea party and that cheapened the argument. Public figures such as political office holders or cops have no right to an assumed privacy (ie. to refuse to be filmed), but private citizens do. Stop thinking with your political views and look at the idea of fairness.
I will agree that there was probable cause to arrest the professor. I haven’t the time right now to review Oregon’s statutes but harassment might apply in this case if that state codifies it. In WA he could be charged with Disorderly Conduct for his actions which include “using abusive language and creating a risk of an assault taking place” and for “disrupting a lawful assembly” and for the 4th degree assault and the theft (which would have been the weakest charge here).
For the tall man’s intervention, I opin he was justified in doing so because the actions of the professor indicated a likelihood he would have assaulted others and the other is permitted to intervene with reasonable force to protect the person. I believe the tall man’s actions were reasonable for this.
Based upon this I view the college’s administrative actions were warranted. The use of force and threats against students engaging in a peaceful demonstration to voice their grievances is unacceptable and risked putting the university into a liability position.
As a small woman of 5’3″ I would have felt threatened by the tall man. If you have never been surrounded by people and filmed like this, you cannot imagine how irritating it is. Watch the BEGINNING of the film–the tall man (who conveniently wouldnt identify himself) placed hands on the prof FIRST.
The woman in question with the camera was using language just as offensive and was verbally baiting the prof. If the tall man had placed hands on me–(and I am a small woman) I would have pushed him away. That is not assault–that is defending your own personal space. These activists behaved the same way the tea baggers do–how is this an improvement? For the record I am part Hispanic so I sympathize with the protestors, but their behavior was equally wrong. I think you are allowing your politics to flavor the actual visual evidence.
To all:
I have seen another news article with more complete information than this outlet. The article explains that Olmsted dropped his helmet, then took off his jacket which was threatening. Turley’s film and article do NOT explain this. I can admit when I’m wrong–and I was wrong. For the record, the obscene language used by the young lady in question DID cheapen her argument–it made it sound specious. Furthermore, the filming is a sore spot with me–as I have been abused by tea baggers where I live for fighting against the tea party’s racism. Jonathan Turley needs to write a post that is more inclusive of the facts–not that sides with one group. So, again, now with this new information–I admit I was wrong. I would advise Ms. Salazar to teach her group to omit the foul language–it cheapens their very valid arguments.
I will admit that the prof became aggressive but only after that big guy placed his hands on him. Even though you say the big guy was calm’–I interpret the blocking as aggressive
Look at the film at the point of 1:19 to 1:20 the tall guy clearly put his hands on the prof, then the prof reacted. Just before that–the girl stated she felt that the prof was using a threatening tone–and that she felt threatened, yet the prof had not done anything other than act a bit ignorant. As I said, both sides were in the wrong. We should not be using the same illegitimate tactics as the tea baggers.
Not defending the prof, but he may have been very aware of how film can be ‘doctored’ to malign the person being filmed through splicing the sample. Some of the ‘non-violent’ tactics such as blocking someone’s path IS interpreted by some groups as aggressive–especially if the person blocking the path is taller and larger.
Watch again. The girl poked the prof and then the tall guy got up in the profs face. Then the prof got aggressive. Getting in someone’s face IS an aggressive move.
I rewatched, and am now totally convinced that this guy’s politics are to the far left. At 0:20, he says “I’m the dominant paradigm.” Environmental Professor at Oregon and using jargon like that surely marks him as a far left intellectual.
Also, not sure what video Jeneane is watching. The first physical contact I see is the professor pushing the big guy away. Admittedly, the big guy gets right up in his space, but that’s only after the prof aggressively approaches one of the other protestors. The big guy is remarkably calm throughout the video
That was just weird. The prof is clearly the aggressor here. But, it seems like he was sympathetic to their views and only wanted to push them to be more aggressive in their protests. Then, once he found out his being an ass was caught on film, his performance flipped and he truly became worried about it being shown which led him to become more physically aggressive. Kinda a shame to see criminal charges pressed over this.
What a slime bag. While he is entitled to his opinion, I am amazed he is not in jail. He is the one that escalated this into a confrontation. I don’t know what video you are watching Jeanine, but the camera is not in his face. The protestor has the right to film him. The only intrusion is this hard ass. The students were not the immature ones.
Actually unless you are a ‘public’ personage–there is NOT an inherent right to film someone’s every move. It IS an intrusion. I have been filmed that way by the tea baggers, just for standing in a crowd and I did block the camera with my hand. Unless you have had that experience EVERY time you attend a meeting–you cannot possibly understand the problem. These same tea baggers would cut and splice ANYTHING you have said and make it look like you made an outrageous statement that you never did. The prof here is vile, but the students (especially the tall one) DID get in his space early on. No one has the right to block your way on a public space. Both parties were in the wrong. Now, filming public figures such as politicians or cops–is permissible when they are performing public duties. You know, it’s easy to be part of the peanut gallery when you aren’t the one being assaulted with a camera. I’m just saying that both parties were in the wrong. If someone blocks your way and is literally an inch away from your personal space you have a right to demand they move. THe students cheapened their own argument by this immature behavior. PS: it was in the beginning of the video.
Have you ever had a camera shoved in your face recording your every breath? Well I have. From the video, both parties look to be in the wrong. THe tall guy DID get in the prof’s face and one of the young ladies was poking the prof. While don’t agree with the profs viewpoint–I DO believe these student were intending to provoke a problem. THe tea party does the same thing and having a camera shoved in your face when you are a private citizen for a prolonged time period IS out of line. While I sympathize with the students’ cause–I do take exception with the physical way THEY started a fight. I’ve had tea bagger shove a camera in my face so close you could count every pore in my face.. THAT is an intrusion. These students are in the wrong and cheapening their cause with this immature strategy.
Yawn. Oregon? Is that where they grow tall corn? Oh, Iowa. What does he wish to protest? The War in Afghanistan? The War On Drugs? The War On Scientology? So, he is suspended from teaching duties. Those who can, do. Those who cant, teach. Those who cant teach, teach teachers. He has no where to go. I would advise him to Go West but if he did he would be in the Pacific. Next topic!
Listening to his words in the early stages, he appears to encouraging people to gather more people, take up arms and start shooting people.
Next thing you know, he’ll be encouraging them to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre.
Apart from that he’s quite boring.
Adults these days! Sheeeesh š
As if there were not more serious things to learn how to debate properly.
Anarchy and civil unrest are just a heartbeat away and this government knows it…. Civil disobedience does not work since Obama has been implicated in sending agents in to OWS…..