Thursday, June 22, 2006

Support Thomas Klocek petition online

Richard Baehr of the American Thinker tipped me off to a petition from the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East in support of fired DePaul University Professor Thomas Klocek.

It reads as follows:

To: Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., Ed.D., President and Susanne M. Dumbleton, Ph.D., Dean of the School for New Learning, DePaul University

We, the undersigned faculty members from around the world, stand solidly with Professor Thomas Klocek, a Roman Catholic, who was dismissed by DePaul University for allegedly offending Muslim students when discussing Christian interests in Israel, disputing that Israeli treatment of Palestinians was akin to the Nazi treatment of the Jewsand then terminating the discussion when it appeared that the students were more interested in Israel-bashing than discussing the issues.

We believe this case sheds serious questions on the commitment to academic freedom and civility in academic discussion with this egregious termination. We further believe that this action by administration has separated DePaul from the academic community.

It is our understanding that Prof. Klocek alleges:

1) He was never allowed to meet with his accusers.

2) He was never presented with a written list of the complaints or charges against him.

3) He was suspended by the Dean of the School for New Learning in clear violation of the University's own stated Faculty Handbook procedures.

4) He was never given a hearing.

5) A vote by the DePaul Faculty Council affirmed that the same rules that apply for a formal academic hearing apply to all professors, full-time and adjuncts alike.

As a result, we believe that Professor Klocek, a faculty member with a 15-year history of excellent evaluations and no prior complaints, was dismissed without due process and should be reinstated without penalty or prejudice and with back pay, restitution of benefits and compensation for his legal and other expenses incurred as a result of his being improperly terminated.

Click here to sign the petition.

Also, letting the two co-chairs of the DePaul Board of Trustees about the petition probably isn't a bad idea.

John B. Simon, jsimon@jenner.com

Mary Dempsey, mdempsey@chicagopubliclibrary.org

(Thanks to a tipster who would like to remain anonymous for Dempsey's e-mail address.)

In National Review's Phi Beta Cons blog, the petion is noted in a post by John J. Miller, who wrote this superb article about the squelching of free speech on college campuses last year, Miller focused on the Klocek case.

Previous posts:

One year anniversary of the Thomas Klocek press conference at DePaul

Thomas Klocek free speech case going to trial: Very bad news for DePaul University

Yale, DePaul win "Polly Awards" for squashing free speech

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