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Le Moyne College Dismisses Student for Personal Beliefs

SYRACUSE, N.Y., February 15, 2005鈥擜dministrators at New York鈥檚 Le Moyne College, which claims to protect academic freedom, have summarily dismissed an education student for writing a paper advocating strict discipline for students.  The chair of Le Moyne鈥檚 education department expelled master鈥檚 student Scott McConnell because of a 鈥渕ismatch鈥 between his personal beliefs and the goals of the college鈥檚 graduate education program.

鈥淟e Moyne College says it respects academic freedom, yet it has dismissed a student purely for expressing personal beliefs that are different from those espoused by administrators,鈥 stated David French, president of 果冻传媒app官方.  鈥淭his shows a profound lack of respect for the opinions of its students.  Le Moyne must not promise freedom and then allow extensive and arbitrary censorship on an administrator鈥檚 whim.鈥

In November 2004, McConnell submitted as part of an assignment a paper expressing his personal views on classroom management, including various ideas for attaining a classroom environment that is 鈥渂ased upon strong discipline and hard work鈥 and that allows 鈥渃orporal punishment.鈥  The paper received an 鈥淎-,鈥 with his professor noting that his ideas were 鈥渋nteresting鈥 and that she had shared the paper with the department chair, Cathy Leogrande.  McConnell ultimately received an 鈥淎鈥 as his final grade in the course.

Yet in January 2005, with no prior warning, Leogrande dismissed McConnell from Le Moyne.  In the dismissal letter, Leogrande stated that she had reviewed McConnell鈥檚 grades for courses he took during the summer and fall semesters and had 鈥渄iscussed鈥 his work with his professors.  Leogrande wrote, 鈥淚 have grave concerns regarding the mismatch between your personal beliefs regarding teaching and learning and the Le Moyne College program goals.  Based on this data, I do not believe that you should continue in the Le Moyne [Master of Science for Teachers] Program.鈥 At the time he was dismissed, McConnell had achieved a grade-point average of 3.78 for the fall semester and had received an 鈥渆xcellent鈥 evaluation for his work in an actual classroom.

鈥淪cott McConnell is being kicked out of school for an 鈥楢-鈥 paper,鈥 noted 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 French.  鈥淚t appears that at Le Moyne, ideological uniformity trumps any other ideal.鈥

McConnell soon contacted FIREfor assistance.  On February 3, FIRE wrote Le Moyne President Charles Beirne and reminded him that dismissing a student based solely on his expression would undermine the college鈥檚 own standards, which state that students who interfere with others鈥 expression are subject to 鈥渢he maximum penalty of suspension or dismissal.鈥  FIREnoted that making an arbitrary administrative decision to censor expression 鈥渟ends the message to the campus community that official censorship is acceptable and that those with controversial ideas should keep silent or risk being deemed a 鈥榤ismatch鈥 and summarily dismissed.鈥  Furthermore, FIREpointed out that Le Moyne鈥檚 acceptance letter to McConnell stated that his academic performance, not his personal beliefs, would be the determining factor as to whether he was allowed to continue with the master鈥檚 program.

On February 8, Le Moyne responded to 果冻传媒app官方, stating that 鈥渢he College does not believe it is appropriate to enter a public debate with your organization concerning the College鈥檚 admission decision concerning any particular student.鈥

鈥淭he fight for the academic freedom of Scott McConnell and for all Le Moyne students will not end just because administrators don鈥檛 feel like addressing the issue,鈥 remarked Greg Lukianoff, 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 director of legal and public advocacy.  鈥淟e Moyne College administrators must learn that the freedom to dissent is 别惫别谤测辞苍别鈥檚 产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉.鈥

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation鈥檚 colleges and universities.  果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America can be viewed at thefire.org.

CONTACT:
Greg Lukianoff, Director of Legal and Public Advocacy, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; greg@thefire.org
David French, President, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; david.french@thefire.org
Reverend Charles Beirne, President, Le Moyne College: 315-445-4120; beirnecj@lemoyne.edu
Cathy Leogrande, Education Department Chair, Le Moyne College: 315-445-4375; leogracc@lemoyne.edu

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