Free talk group says projects do not offend First Amendment, but
Two pro-Palestinian faculty face charges of” compelled conversation” and “viewpoint discrimination”, following their homework on Israel and Gaza.
In a legitimate email sent to Santa Monica College, StandWithUs Saidoff’s legal division accused two academics of pushing “anti-Israel political propaganda” with different projects.
The pro-Israel team told The College Fix” students may be encouraged to think analytically” in the classroom, but that should not contain pushing a certain viewpoint.
According to an email sent on July 12 to , The Fix, the party is in communication with the community school.
Roz Rothstein, the co-founder of The Fix, stated in an earlier media declaration that “educational organisations can foster polite discussion about critical topics, including a variety of ideas on Israelis and Palestinians.”
But different perspectives were never allowed in these two conditions, according to the team’s text.
According to the allegations in the letter, Ethnic Studies Professor Elias Serna requested” students to create an project adopting his private social point of view as achievement truth.”
Especially, the California neighborhood college professor asked students to read on the “ongoing death and murder by Israel in Palestine”, according to the letter, which quoted the project.
From a pro-Palestinian perspective, various issues even centered on the Middle East conflict.
Professor of art history Ali Ahmadpour wrote to kids about” the continuing fight on Gaza on the occupied Palestinian land” and how they would “visually teach” the Santa Monica area. The legal text includes a version of this task.
In the last three and a half months, Ahmadpour has never responded to two email requests for comment.
Serna ( pictured ) expressed interest in commenting on July 10. Since then, he has not responded to numerous follow-up attempts to arrange an exam or get comments.
Both scientists were asked to respond to the claims and provide any additional perspective and details by The Fix.
Ahmadpour is slated to tell one program in the fall 2024 quarter, but Serna is not on the plan, according to a , College Fix research.
Additionally, in the last three and a half weeks, school guidance Robert Myers, the victim of the letter, has failed to respond to two email requests. The Fix requested a response on the email and the university’s common practices when it comes to bringing up these contentious subjects in the classroom.
Rothstein, the co-founder of StandWithUs, said there are many Supreme Court situations supporting” a distinct First Amendment right for individuals on public school schools”.
She cited Tinker v. Des Moines, which held that” individuals have First Amendment right in public colleges”, according to her.
She even cited Barnette v. West Virginia State Board of Education. The Supreme Court ruled in this case against necessary observance of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Free speech organizations claim that there are no” clear breaches of the First Amendment.”
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, First Amendment rules supports the faculty, at least based on what it is infer from the charges.
There do not appear to be any distinct violations of the First Amendment in the two projects, according to Program Officer Jessie Appleby told The Fix via internet in late June. ” Professors usually enjoy academic freedom when it comes to how they teach their subjects.”
She said,” First Amendment rights against viewpoint discrimination and compelled speech are certainly violated by simply requiring students to study or discuss content they disagree with as part of their educational coursework,” she said. What instructors are unable to do is require students to take or espouse a particular viewpoint or belief.
Appleby told The Fix,” Instructors even don’t punish kids or give them bad results for expressing their opinions,” according to Appleby. However, even when they disagree, students may be asked to make an argument for a place they oppose or be required to cite facts about a topic to support their understanding.
She said more:
In this situation, Santa Monica College asks pupils to consider the project from the perspective of someone creating skill exhibits in support of the school encampments. This is a genuine scientific workout. Individuals are not being asked to declare their individual help for the encampments in light of the facts described in the text. The Santa Monica College professor of cultural studies, in contrast, is not violating the First Amendment by simply asking pupils about” the continuing destruction and murder by Israel in Palestine.”
” But the professor would be crossing the line if he failed to punish a student because they responded by saying they did n’t think Israel was committing a genocide in Gaza,” according to Appleby.
After leaving feedback to The Fix, Appleby even wrote an analysis of the situation.  , StandWithUs wrote a comment to FIRE, disputing the free speech team’s research.
Further: Harvard changes decision to suspend pro-Palestinian demonstrators
IMAGE: Elias Serna/Linked In
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