 "Photo: Courtesy of Chris Young")
A Fresno City College instructor of an introductory health class, Bradley Lopez, is being charged by the ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, of abusing his rights of academic freedom by teaching his views of religion and anti-gay opinions as scientific fact. Students in Lopez’ classes have filed complaints against Lopez and the ACLU is currently investigating the controversy. Students at FCC claim that he contradicts the textbook and doesn’t stick to the curriculum. Lopez has been accused of discriminating homosexuals by saying they are “degrading society,” that abortion is the leading cause of death instead of cancer, and quotes the bible to prove his views, but denies making such comments. Lopez’ attorney, Charles Magill, says that Lopez is protected by academic freedom and the First Amendment. American Civil liberties Union is committed to protecting and securing the rights and liberties of the individual under the Constitution and laws of The United States, according to their website, ACLU.org.
COS’ Board Policy 4030 and the section of Professional Ethics in the Faculty handbook, outlines the American Association of University Professors 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom, which states that academic freedom entitles teachers the freedom to discuss their subject, but should be careful to introduce controversial matter that has no relevance to the subject of the class. The COS Community College District supports the essential principles of Academic Freedom as listed in the AAUP sections of academic freedom and as it is approved by the Academic Senate. The AAUP 1970 clarification statement says that “controversy is at the heart of free academic inquiry.” The COS Academic Senate Statement of Professional Ethics, declares that faculty members’ “primary responsibility to their subjects is to seek and to state the truth as they see it.”
The bottom line is that teachers have the right to academic freedom and discussing or arguing their views in classrooms when it comes to the context of the courses subjects but the information that is being discussed must be accurate and unbiased. Dr. Scroggins, COS President, states that faculty opinion outside of the curriculum is a component of academic freedom and the relations between opinion and course content may not always be clear to the students and how it applies to what they are learning. A college level education is intended for students to develop skills such as critical and analytical thinking so that they are enabled to make conclusions of their own.
“Learning is a lifelong process, one that continually requires flexibility and growth,” said Scroggins in an email, “our goal as educators is to prepare [students] for this reality.”
“We learn whatever they want to teach us and we’re pretty much at their mercy,” said ASB President Rafael Anguiano. “Some courses don’t have textbooks so you only get what the teachers want you to see.”
Anguiano states that education and the opinion from teachers are related but that [teachers] opinion should not be seriously criticized. “It’s just opinion, they’re entitled to their opinion just like we’re entitled to ours.”
Students for Academic Freedom, or SAF, an organization whose purpose is to restore integrity to the academic duty as an unbiased pursuit of knowledge states “you can’t get a good education if they’re only telling half the story.” The SAF handbook states that according to the AAUP guidelines, violations of academic freedom can include assigning required readings to students that only covers one side of a controversial issue and require students to express a certain point of view in assignments.
2 comments
I'm not defending Mr. Lopez, but rather speculating on the large picture. I have a teacher that uses no textbook at all. He gives us all the facts out of his own head. But that doesn't automatically mean you aren't allowed- that it's FORBIDDEN -to verify the teacher's information in other books. Heaven forbid we have to take an unnecessary trip to the library and open a book that ISN'T listed in the syllabus and possibly learn something as a result!