Yesterday, James Vandlingham wrote, in the "Alligator," a Florida publication, a report on legislation that is working its way through the Florida Senate. In the story he wrote the following:

""...Students who believe their professor is singling them out for “public ridicule” – for instance, when professors use the Socratic method to force students to explain their theories in class – would also be given the right to sue. Some professors say, ‘Evolution is a fact. I don’t want to hear about Intelligent Design (a creationist theory), and if you don’t like it, there’s the door,’” Baxley said, citing one example when he thought a student should sue.

Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, warned of lawsuits from students enrolled in Holocaust history courses who believe the Holocaust never happened. Similar suits could be filed by students who don’t believe astronauts landed on the moon, who believe teaching birth control is a sin or even by Shands medical students who refuse to perform blood transfusions and believe prayer is the only way to heal the body, Gelber added. “This is a horrible step,” he said. “Universities will have to hire lawyers so our curricula can be decided by judges in courtrooms. Professors might have to pay court costs — even if they win — from their own pockets. This is not an innocent piece of legislation.”

The staff analysis also warned the bill may shift responsibility for determining whether a student’s freedom has been infringed from the faculty to the courts.

But Baxley brushed off Gelber’s concerns. “Freedom is a dangerous thing, and you might be exposed to things you don’t want to hear,” he said. “Being a businessman, I found out you can be sued for anything. Besides, if students are being persecuted and ridiculed for their beliefs, I think they should be given standing to sue.” During the committee hearing, Baxley cast opposition to his bill as “leftists” struggling against “mainstream society.” “The critics ridicule me for daring to stand up for students and faculty,” he said, adding that he was called a McCarthyist.

Baxley later said he had a list of students who were discriminated against by professors, but refused to reveal names because he felt they would be persecuted...."""

I can imagine this "list" represents postings from the same website that generated the attack on Barlow by Poe. Michael Berube has been exchanging comments with David Horowitz about much of these issues, and has shown how incapable of being truthful and honest DH and his minions have been. Fascism by any other name is embedded in these types of anti-intellectual activities.

Good comments.

As a business owner (I founded a still run a store/gallery in New York City as well as being a college professor) I found your quotes from Baxley quite interesting.

Does he think it OK for businesses to be easily sued? If so, he be in a strange sort of business.

In my business incarnation, I've been sued. It never made it to court, but was a royal pain.

Businesses can be destroyed by unwarranted lawsuits. The same could happen to education, if this sort of law comes into existence.

I'm flabbergasted. Give me a couple of hours to process this one. I mean, sue a professor for what should be a rhetorical exercise in the classroom? That's crazy!