Table of Contents
Victory: University of Kansas Professor Reinstated After Four-Month Investigation Into Classroom Speech
LAWRENCE, Kan., March 21, 2016鈥擜 University of Kansas communications professor was cleared of any wrongdoing late Friday after a four-month investigation into comments she made during a classroom discussion on race. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) wrote to KU last month, urging the university to recognize that the professor鈥檚 comments are protected by the First Amendment and that any punishment would violate her rights.
鈥淚 am tremendously relieved to have this process complete as the last four months have been a terribly emotionally distressing time for me and my family,鈥 said assistant professor of communications studies Andrea Quenette. 鈥淭he outcome of the investigation was fair, reflecting the truth in this situation, and the university did due diligence. From the beginning I, and many others, believed my speech was appropriate for an educational context, and now, there can be no question regarding the educational appropriateness and intent of my words鈥攁cademic freedom prevailed.鈥
The controversy surrounding Quenette鈥檚 comments arose on November 12, 2015, during a graduate seminar discussion about race. The previous day, KU held a forum on racial and cultural issues affecting the campus in response to student protests over racial issues at the University of Missouri.
According to written by some of Quenette鈥檚 students, during a part of the discussion focusing on how the graduate students can bring up these issues with their students, Quenette said, 鈥淎s a white woman I just never have seen racism...It鈥檚 not like I see 鈥楴igger鈥 spray painted on walls鈥 .鈥 Later, the topic shifted to minority student retention rates in higher education. During that conversation, Quenette responded to one student who argued that the lower retention rate of black students stems from racism and poor institutional support by saying, 鈥淭hose students are not leaving school because they are physically threatened everyday but because of academic performance.鈥
Following the discussion, eight graduate students, some of whom were not in the class, filed complaints against Quenette. In their open letter, the students called on KU to terminate Quenette, arguing that her comments were 鈥渦nacceptably offensive鈥 and violated KU鈥檚 Racial & Ethnic Harassment Policy, among other university policies. The students also refused to continue attending her class.
Quenette was subsequently placed on paid leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. In a letter sent to KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little last month, FIREexplained that Quenette鈥檚 comments were germane to the class discussion, were not targeted at any group or individual, did not violate any university policy, and are protected under the First Amendment.
Late Friday, the university announced that Quenette did not violate university policy and may return to teaching.
"Andrea Quenette's complete exoneration was the only justifiable outcome of this investigation. We're pleased KU came to that conclusion as well," said Peter Bonilla, director of 果冻传媒app官方's Individual Rights Defense Program. "The university's stand for free speech and academic freedom is a welcome corrective to the demands for Quenette's termination and the speech policing of KU faculty, and we hope its peer institutions will take note."
鈥淚 cannot even really begin to express my gratitude both for [果冻传媒app官方鈥檚] help but also, that there is a group like FIREthat is out there protecting faculty and students,鈥 said Quenette. 鈥淔irst Amendment protection for both students and faculty is vital to the healthy functioning of higher education, even if such speech may be unpopular. I hope that my situation will inspire students and faculty to stand up for their First Amendment rights and colleges and universities to embrace protection of academic freedom.鈥
FIRE is a nonpartisan, 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, freedom of expression, academic freedom, due process, 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 campus across America can be viewed at thefire.org.
CONTACT:
Nico Perrino, Director of Communications, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; media@thefire.org
Recent Articles
FIRE鈥檚 award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.