We have been discussing the racist tweets of Saida Grundy, an incoming assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at Boston University, who used twitter to denounce white men as the central problem at universities and described how she tries not to do business with white people. After an outcry from alumni, Boston University president Robert Brown expressed “disappointment” with her statements and Grundy herself apologized for what she called “indelicate” wording. She has called the statements “indelicate” and says that they were in response to unidentified events. The response has been withering with many saying that few would view the comments “indelicate” if a white professor encouraged people not to buy things from black people or calling black males as the problem on colleges. She now stands accused of a fairly unhinged exchange with a white woman who expressed her personal feelings over an article attacking actress Patricia Arquette for her call at the Oscars for equal pay for women.
We recently discussed the case of Saida Grundy, an incoming assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at Boston University who released a series of tweets denounced by many as racist and sexist, including calling white males the main problem on college campuses and admitting how she tries not to buy anything from white people. While many called for Grundy to be fired, some of us defended her racist and sexist comments as an exercise of free speech done outside of her teaching responsibilities. However at the time, I noted “released a series of tweets denounced by many as racist and sexist. “White masculinity isn’t a problem for america’s colleges, white masculinity is THE problem for america’s colleges.” Now we have such a case and it does appear to confirm some of our concerns that the same standard is not applied to those with opposing views. Duke University professor Jerry Hough has reportedly been placed on leave after posting comments online that were also denounced as racist. While Grundy was allowed to apologize for “indelicate” comments about whites, Hough is facing calls for termination and has reportedly been put on leave. [UPDATE: there are some stories indicating that Hough may have been on academic leave rather than “put on” academic leave. It is not clear from various reports.]
Continue reading “Duke Professor Under Fire After Tweeting Statements Condemned As Racist”
We have previously discussed how schools have rejected students with substantially higher scores for college admissions to allow the admission of African-American and hispanic students. Some academics, myself included, have raised concerns about the significant differences in academic scores — a difference that is particularly great with regard to Asian Americans. For that reason, I share the concern that this constitutes a form of discrimination based on race. While there remains a permissible range in which schools can select students to achieve a diverse and pluralistic student body, the differential of admissions scores can be alarming in some cases and suggest that students are being rejected simply because of their race.
There is a controversial case out of Georgia where academic adviser Abbey Dawson has been put on leave at Kennesaw State University after being videotaped telling an African-American student, Kevin Bruce, that his waiting in the lobby to see an academic adviser constitutes harassment and would be reported to the police.
You may have seen this story but I wanted to share it. With all of the lousy stuff going on around the world from ISIS killing prisoners to companies clear cutting the Amazon, there are occasionally a glimpse into the potential of humankind. Recently, Tanner Brownlee raised $3000 to buy his father’s patrol car, a Charger with 147,000 miles. His Dad was killed in the line of duty in 2010 after he and other officers pursued a suspected car thief into a subdivision after a high-speed chase. However, at the auction to raise money for C.O.P.S. (a fund for widows and orphans of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty) he found himself outbid by someone who seemed intent on buying the car. Then something wonderful happened.
Continue reading “Colorado Teen Outbid In Effort To Buy Late Father’s Patrol Car, Then . . .”
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Weekend Contributor
The answer to the question posed in the title, in the state of Wisconsin, is $8 Million dollars. For those of us who think Judges are not and should not be politicians, the situation in Wisconsin is especially disturbing. However, Wisconsin is not alone in this dilemma. Thirty nine states elect their judges and the money flowing into those campaigns is increasing the concerns of special interests “purchasing” justice. Professor Turley has also commented in the past about the alarming amounts of money flowing into judicial elections.
In a recent United States Supreme Court decision, Chief Justice Roberts weighed in on money and politics in judicial elections. “Last week, the United States Supreme Court upheld a Florida judicial rule that prohibits candidates for election to state judgeships from personally soliciting money for their campaigns. ‘ “Judges are not politicians,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., wrote in the majority opinion in the 5-4 decision, “even when they come to the bench by way of the ballot.” He went on, “Simply put, Florida and most other States have concluded that the public may lack confidence in a judge’s ability to administer justice without fear or favor if he comes to office by asking for favors.” ‘ New Yorker Continue reading “What is the Cost to Purchase a State Supreme Court?”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
The mysterious ways of a familiar high school institution, the Tesla Coil, once again has conjured another spectacle. A Salem, Oregon high school teacher was charged with the shocking crime of Criminal Mistreatment after allegedly employing the coil to burn sweet nothings into the arms of students
After an investigation, Salem Police arrested Samuel Dufner for the alleged crime at South Salem High School.
Continue reading “Teacher Allegedly Burned Students With Tesla Coil, Sparking Controversy”
This title might not be too surprising for some who always thought I destined for the gallows, but it was a bit unnerving for me. Jonathan Turley, 33, appears to have gone on the lam after allegedly stabbing a man five times over a scarf dispute. The murder occurred in 2008 as we discussed.
Continue reading “Police Search For Jonathan Turley In Alleged Murder Case”
There is a conviction in Missouri in a novel criminal case where a former Lindenwold University student Michael L. Johnson, 23, was found guilty of infecting another man with HIV and endangering four others while attending the college in suburban St. Louis. These cases are often difficult to establish given the question of what was known and what was disclosed in an otherwise consensual sexual encounter.
Continue reading “Former Missouri College Student Found Guilty In HIV Exposure of Former Lovers”
We have been discussing the curious start of the academic career of Saida Grundy, an incoming assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at Boston University, who released a series of tweets denounced by many as racist and sexist. “White masculinity isn’t a problem for america’s colleges, white masculinity is THE problem for america’s colleges.” In a January tweet, Grundy wrote: “Every MLK week I commit myself to not spending a dime in white-owned businesses. and every year i find it nearly impossible.” Previously, she posted comments like “Deal with your white sh*t, white people. slavery is a *YALL* thing.” With many objecting that the University would have fired a male or white professor for such comments directed against blacks or women, donors have begun to revolt and the University was forced to issue a statement condemning the comments. Now, after a surprisingly long period of silence, Grundy has apologized but may have aggravated the situation further. She has called the statements “indelicate” and says that they were in response to unidentified events. The response has been withering with many saying that few would view the comments “indelicate” if a white professor encouraged people not to buy things from black people or calling black males as the problem on colleges.
We have been discussing the strange murder mystery of Vincent Viafore and his fiance Angelika Graswald. The case appeared disturbingly circumstantial according to initial reports, particularly without a body. Now they have found the body and more importantly, the prosecutors revealed in court that they have what they are calling a confession. They quoted her as saying “It felt good knowing he would die” and that she admitted to tampering with his kayak to bring about his death. It was also revealed that she was the beneficiary of insurance policies for Viafore and had discussed after his death how she would spend the money.
There is an interesting decision in the case of Ohio Northern University law professor Scott Gerber (left), who sued over what he described as a pattern of bullying by this colleagues, including assault and battery law professor Stephen Veltri (right), who had served as associate dean and interim dean in 2011 and 2012, in grading and squeezing his shoulder. U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary ruled that Berber could pursue claims of assault and battery, but not intentional infliction of emotional distress. The case is Gerber v. Ohio Northern Univ., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56767
We previously discussed the case of Jared Marcum, 14, who was suspended and arrested for wearing a t-shirt supporting the Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association. While many of us derided the arrest of a student (and the continuation of a trend toward criminalizing our schools), most people assumed that the police or prosecutors would immediately show a modicum of sense in refusing to bring the charges of disrupting the educational process and obstructing an officer. We were wrong but the charges were ultimately dismissed. Now, the family in West Virginia is suing.
Please try to read this story in eight seconds and do not get distracted by the picture of the goldfish. There is an interesting study that seems to confirm one curious aspects of our information technology revolution. As we are increasingly bombarded by information and images from different sources, our attention spans appears to be failing. The study of 2,000 people found that the average attention span has fallen from 12 seconds to 8 seconds. With the decline, we have now fallen below the attention span of a goldfish (at nine seconds).
Continue reading “Attention Span of A Goldfish? You Wish . . .”
We have been following the ongoing controversy involving Sabrina Rubin Erdely, the investigative journalist who wrote a feature story for Rolling Stone on an alleged sexual assault on the campus in Charlottesville, Va. I previously wrote about the curious response of Rolling Stone in admitting a range of shocking journalistic failures but refusal to fire anyone, including Erdely, for a story that clearly defamed a host of people and damaged the reputation of both the University of Virginia as the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. I have commented in the past that Rolling Stone can clearly be sued in the case and probably should be sued. Now the first such lawsuit has been filed. University of Virginia associate dean of students Nicole Eramo has filed a multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone alleging that the magazine destroyed her reputation in her portrayal as callous and indifferent and that she was vilified by Erdely and the magazine. The magazine printed a photo illustration of Eramo that allegedly was edited from a mundane Cavalier Daily photo to a more menacing image that “demonstrates the lengths Erdely and Rolling Stone were willing to go to portray Dean Eramo as a villain.”
Continue reading “University of Virginia Associate Dean Sues Rolling Stone Magazine Over Rape Story”