Florida professor could be fired for suggesting that the Sandy Hook shooting was a Hoax.

Rawne1980

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Jul 29, 2011
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Katatori-kun said:
Freedom of speech only guarantees you the freedom to express your opinion. It doesn't give you the freedom to express it without consequence, nor does it require other people to employ you when you say stupid shit.
I don't know how the law works in America but in the UK, if he was fired over something said on his personal blog, it falls under unfair dismissal.

That would end up with said professor taking former employer to a tribunal and getting lots of money from them. In some cases it has resulted in former employers not only having to pay compensation but having to re-hire the person they fired in the first place. Gotta love how the law works.

A personal blog does not have any standing on how well he performs his job.

Most of us have opinions and have said things other people don't like or agree with but it doesn't affect how well we do our chosen jobs.
 

Charli

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Nov 23, 2008
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On his personal blog? No. In his lessons to his students? Debatable.

But yeah you're not allowed to fire someone over what they believe. That's retarded. Even if you disagree with what they believe in.
 

PeterMerkin69

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Dec 2, 2012
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There's a really good, clearly defined metric for this kind of thing: does what he said effect, in any way, his ability to perform his duties? No? Then leave his job out of it. This is the same kind of irrational bullshit we see when a politician is caught in an extramarital affair or we find out a teacher used to act (very, very poorly) in porn. What they do in their personal time is just that, personal. You can judge them as human beings, you can gnash your teeth and whine about it, but if their job isn't to be faithful, it's irrelevant. It's as simple as that.

People who call for terminations like this have the minds of petulant children. I'm a realist, I understand the importance of public perception, but I also understand that kowtowing to willing participants with delicate sensibilities is tantamount to negotiating with terrorists. Actually, it's worse than that. They're wrong, they're putting themselves in the position to be offended, then, instead of excusing themselves from the situation when they are, they try to force everyone else to adhere to their world view. Which is fine, the boundary conditions allow for that, but they also allow for us to tell them to go screw, among other things.

I don't think they've thought this through all the way, either. Do they want the person to just kill themselves? If not, how are they going to provide for themselves after they're fired? Are the people calling for their termination going to foot the money for living expenses until they find a new position? What positions are they fit to fill, anyway? If they're fired for saying something unrelated to their current job, how are they not unfit for other equally unrelated positions? Do we have some arbitrary distinctions to determine these new qualifications? I'd like to see how those were framed if we do. Like, can the professor become a mechanic? Can the porn teacher train horses? Can John Edwards collect shopping carts outside of Wal-Mart?
 

Sniper Team 4

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Apr 28, 2010
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As much as it kills me to say this, no, I don't think he should be fired. My gut reaction was, "Hell YES!", but after a few seconds reasoning prevailed. If it had been on the school website, then yes, but it's his own blog. He's entitled to his own thoughts.
Still, if I was a kid in his class, I would have withdrawn in protest. I just wouldn't be able to sit and listen to anything that man had to say.
 

cerebreturns

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Jan 15, 2013
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Professors in colleges have always had problems with mixing teaching people the subject with teaching their own opinion of the matters that relate to the subject. Professors are generally liberal and haughty, narcissistic and power crazed.

Burn the colleges to the ground...not sure if it should be done after or before the government.
 

PunkRex

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Feb 19, 2010
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Comocat said:
I thought it was funny that in link the Fox News analyst said the professor could be fired for saying things that were untrue. Oh Rly Fox news?
Screw glass houses try crystal palace.
 

Ryotknife

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Oct 15, 2011
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im guessing the professor is not tenure. Ive heard stories about how hard it is to fire them. Ive heard one story of a professor who had no idea why he was in a classroom at X time, just that he had to be there. Couldnt remember anything about the subject he was teaching, but they cant fire him because he shows up to class on time.
 

Saika Renegade

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Nov 18, 2009
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Is he an at-will employee of the university? If so, then legally they can fire him without legal consequence -as- a consequence of his actions.

Alternately, a very loud public ostracization and/or distancing of themselves from his views might be in order.
 

Happiness Assassin

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Oct 11, 2012
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Florida Atlantic University has no obligation to protect his Freedom of Speech. Freedom of speech only applies to the federal government (as well as the state governments with the 14th amendment). If they want to fire him, then by all means fire his ignorant ass. But do I personally believe he should be fired? No, he is entitled to his beliefs, no matter how fucked in the head he is. I just won't be crying if he is fired.
 
Apr 5, 2008
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barbzilla said:
For discussion sake, do you think he should be fired for his statements?
So the second ammendment is carved in stone and can't be challenged, but screw his first ammendment rights?

He might be an idiot, but last I heard the US was quite proud of being the land of free speech, a free press and being able to have an opinion contrary to the status quo without fear of persecution or prosecution.
 

Lilani

Sometimes known as CaitieLou
May 27, 2009
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cerebreturns said:
Professors in colleges have always had problems with mixing teaching people the subject with teaching their own opinion of the matters that relate to the subject. Professors are generally liberal and haughty, narcissistic and power crazed.

Burn the colleges to the ground...not sure if it should be done after or before the government.
Professors are not generally like that. Only the ones who give universities the most trouble. I'll give you that most professors in formal studies tend to have polarized political opinions (I've had some very liberal professors, but also very conservative), but narcissistic and power-crazed? What blogs have you been reading?

Anyway, on topic, as others have stated while free speech gives you the right to say what you want, it doesn't mean you are shielded from the social and professional ramifications of what you've said. Frankly I don't blame the university, not wanting to have their name mixed up with this perplexingly strong shitstorm.
 

Gatx

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Jul 7, 2011
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Hold on, why is everyone jumping to the conclusion that the professor thinks its a hoax? Doesn't the OP say that what he was really saying was that the media did a bad job of reporting (and with things like the wrong person being identified as the shooter and all that who can say different)? The actual article itself is really lacking in information so I can't really say for sure, and it's not like the professor himself made that video and nothing suggests that he actually believes it.
 

barbzilla

He who speaks words from mouth!
Dec 6, 2010
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DVS BSTrD said:
Of course Fox news is on his side, any excuse as long as it means white people can keep their guns. I've read some of his statement: the way he so patronizing danced around calling it an outright hoax "if at all". If he wants the the media to hold itself accountable he should set an example and resign so the school doesn't have to be associated with his ignorant fear mongering.
Who said anything about white people or guns. The article is about a professor keeping his job over personal opinions posted on the internet. The way people want to bring up color or race in threads and articles completely unrelated is a sign of the person being racist themselves, so please leave race out of the discussion. Guns have only a very slight bearing on the discussion as the conspiracy theory seems to think that the hoax was to push the gun laws, but once again not what we are discussing. As for Fox, we know that Fox is slanted and retarded, I used the link because it was the first one I saw on the subject and I wanted to share the news. Even though Fox is retarded I highly doubt they are making this story up.

As for you insinuating that he be fired because he implied that he believes there is a hoax in the first place is relevant, but I think your motivations for firing someone are a little harsh. You don't go out of your way to fire people for their personal beliefs. I don't know where you work, but what if they decided to fire you for your belief that Fox news is slanted and fakes the news? That is a personal opinion, you are posting it on the internet, and many people like fox news (for whatever reason). By your standards you should be fired for having an opinion. Its okay though, because you are going to resign to make sure your employer avoids any potential fall out from Fox news lovers not using their services anymore.
 

barbzilla

He who speaks words from mouth!
Dec 6, 2010
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KingsGambit said:
barbzilla said:
For discussion sake, do you think he should be fired for his statements?
So the second ammendment is carved in stone and can't be challenged, but screw his first ammendment rights?

He might be an idiot, but last I heard the US was quite proud of being the land of free speech, a free press and being able to have an opinion contrary to the status quo without fear of persecution or prosecution.
I'm not sure what you are trying to get at here, it sounds like you are saying I think he should be fired. I do not, I think he has a right to his opinions and, as long as he doesn't imply it is the opinion of the university, he is entitled to speak/write his mind on whatever subject matter he feels like (provided it isn't hateful, but that is another discussion).


Captcha: know your rights

Damn skippy captcha
 

barbzilla

He who speaks words from mouth!
Dec 6, 2010
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Gatx said:
Hold on, why is everyone jumping to the conclusion that the professor thinks its a hoax? Doesn't the OP say that what he was really saying was that the media did a bad job of reporting (and with things like the wrong person being identified as the shooter and all that who can say different)? The actual article itself is really lacking in information so I can't really say for sure, and it's not like the professor himself made that video and nothing suggests that he actually believes it.
If you read into what he actually wrote on the blog, it is fairly evident that he is at least considering the possibility of it being a hoax. I will try to dig up a more in depth article when I get home for the thread and post it in another spoiler. I don't really blame him for thinking there are some issues with the investigation though, but I wouldn't go about advocating the hoax idea until I at least heard the official reports when they are released.
 

Revolutionary

Pub Club Am Broken
May 30, 2009
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FelixG said:
Revolutionary said:
If you actually look at the conspiracy theorists video, a lot of their "evidence" is actually supposition here-say, and flimsy observations that prove absolutely nothing. Also Fox news lol. As to whether he should be fired or not is a bit of a fiddly matter. I'm all for free speech, but what he's saying is fairly offensive. At the end of the day Id probably say because this happened on his personal blog and not through any official channels The guy shouldn't be fired. Just IMO.
I have looked at a few of them, isnt their main point that a lot of things seem to have been posted the day before the shootings then removed such as memorial sites and the shooters death certificate?
Yes but It turns out the pages were actually just pages that had already been lying around and renamed. I.e someone just re purposed an already existing page (Created before the shooting).
most of the research has already been done here.