There is an interesting academic controversy out of Louisiana State University where Professor Teresa Buchanan, who specializes in early childhood education and trains elementary school teachers, has been fired for creating what university administrators describe as a “hostile learning environment” that amounted to sexual harassment. However, the crux of the charges appears to be Buchanan’s use of foul language and bawdy jokes. The question is why (as recommended by the faculty committee) Buchanan was not simply reprimand or censured for such violations as opposed to fired.
Buchanan appears to have favored ““F*** no” to questions in class and using the crude slang term for vagina to suggest someone is a coward. She also made a a joke that the quality of sex gets worse the longer a relationship lasts.
Clearly some students took offense, but I have not seen such language issues result in termination. Indeed, it is not clear from the record why such language would be viewed as akin to sexual harassment. She is not first to use profanity in a classroom, something that occurs in high level classes with older students.
Buchanan says that most of the incident occurred during a divorce when she may have been a bit less guarded in her terminology. I think that the five faculty member committee found a compromise in sanctioning the language while also finding that Buchanan’s comments were not “systematically directed at any individual.” That factual finding makes the termination highly problematic in my view. Moreover, the committee noted that the chair of Buchanan’s department should have worked to resolve the issues over her behavior before the matter was simply turned over to the Human Resources Office for investigation and action.
LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander rejected the faculty committee’s recommendations and focused entirely on the committee finding that the language could be viewed as sexual harassment. The Chancellor also cited an allegation that Buchanan had violated a student’s rights under the federal Americans With Disabilities Act. However that allegation was rejected as “not substantiated by testimony.” Alexander’s selective reading of the report and dismissal of key findings and recommendations is highly disturbing in my view for academic freedom and due process.
Source: Advocate
@ Paul
Deadwood was the best! They didn’t finish the series. HBO just decided to drop it and not continue the series. We were so mad that we canceled HBO and never subscribed to it again.
DBQ – same here. I have not subscribed to HBO since they cancelled Deadwood. I am watching an older series with Ian McShane in it ‘Lovejoy’ and of course ‘Justified.’
Terminating her for bad language would only be acceptable if she had been formally reprimanded, counseled to knock it off and then she continued her bizzarre classroom behaviour. Why she would act this way in her professional setting is really unfathomable and perhaps indicative of some deeper personality disorders.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not opposed to salty language. My first husband was a career Navy man and I have been known to have “friends in low places”….(that’s from a song :-). I can cuss up a blue streak, but ….seriously……at work?
There is a time and a place for everything. I guess she found out that in the classroom teaching elementary school wanna be teachers is not the place.
Couple of things: 1) She is teaching elementary education and they are really very very special snowflakes. 2) She has great grounds to sue. 3) I agree that they were looking for a reason to get rid of her.
Nick – just finish Deadwood again and I am still mad about how they finished that series.
Reblogged this on Scoop Feed.
Had our current standard of ‘offensive’ language been in effect when I was in the Navy we wouldn’t have a need for a 600 ships; they wouldn’t have anyone to man them.
We wake up every day and find one new thing to be offended by. I don’t care what your political leanings are; if we don’t cease labeling everything offensive we will all be bound to our houses for fear of offending someone and of course the subsequent prosecution.
The story leaves the distinct impression that Prof. Buchanan was not fired for sexual harassment, but for the sole reason that Chancellor Alexander was personally offended by her language. Based on these facts, the termination is absurd.
Tyger, There is the academic world, and then the real world. To a degree, that has always been the case. But it is much more the case now.
According to The Advocate article the authorities had received “complaints” – plural – about her classroom conduct. The students are the customers. Customers expect quality service for their money. They don’t pay tens of thousands in tuition to listen to an instructor hurl F-bombs, tell dirty jokes, and make sexual innuendo. Bill Maher is rich because that’s what people pay him to do.
Some of her customers aren’t happy about the service they were provided and complained. Was she warned previously about her classroom conduct?
This could be a case of insubordination in that after the customers complained she was asked to modify her conduct but failed to do so. The allegations of sexual harassment may just be the pretext used to justify firing her.
Say this real fast, many times. Eat, bite, f*#@, suck, gobble, nibble, chew.
Damn it, what I have to say is more important than how I say it! Understand?
When people become preoccupied with the words used in communications, they usually miss the point of a speech entirely. What’s important is whether a speaker, either a teacher, lecturer, politician, or simply someone having a conversation with someone else, is getting the message across. Sometimes a crude style gets attention and those listening will understand the meaning of what is being said better. While focusing on insignificant or irrelevant details of how professors are communicating, today’s politically-correct obsessed society is missing the bigger picture of what the educators are actually teaching and whether they are doing it well or not.
This is no longer the 1950’s, words should no longer shock people.
I am talking about just general cuss words, NOT racist words.
It seems insane in my opinion, that some words cause some people to clutch their pearls.
@Paul Hutchison – if you find something said by X offensive, is your next step always calling the authorities, rather than asking X to watch the language?
I’m watching, for the 2nd time, the superb HBO Series, Deadwood. The series is set in the gold mining town in South Dakota. It is in large part historically accurate. The language back then was foul. Conversely, people had a much better vocabulary and actually knew how to write well, evidenced by letters written by plain folk back then. I’ve read many primary sources studying the 1800’s and the writing is much better than it is today. I reckon we have the teacher’s union to “thank.”
I think LSU is saying, – this is not what we want from our teachers, and they are willing to nip it in the bud. Waiting only allow tenure and becomes the face of the University. And to respond to others who say it is not harassment- I find the language defensive and just because they use the word don’t make in any less offensive to me and would have reported every use of the word if used in class. And to the lady, and I use the term loosely, that uses the word everyday is probably offending someone each day but she could care less about their rights of others to be treated with respect. The word does not belong in public forum.
Standards are much higher for a woman. How dare she talk like a man!
But seriously, not much of a role model but then I am sure the “offended” students have heard and most likely engaged in worse, much worse. The complaints were probably initiated for other reasons. The administration is nuts.
Steve, I agree, this looks like somebody just did not like her, and was a bit of a “Gotcha”..
Damn, if that is what is considered sexual harassment in the USA, then I am guilty of
sexually harassing EVERYBODY I know.
This is just ridiculous.
Pure guess based on my experience in corporate politics.
Sometimes you just don’t like a person; then you wait until you find an opportunity to “get” them.
I suspect that Prof. Buchanan’s professional demise is founded on personal animosity rather than the desire of President and Chancellor F. King Alexander to protect his students (doesn’t his title and name alone suggest an unattractive level of pomposity?).