UCLA professor suspended, under police protection after threats

[Dashinka 24,740]

You cannot make this stuff up.

 

UCLA professor suspended, under police protection after threats

A California college professor reportedly is being investigated for discrimination and under police protection after refusing a request to exempt black students from final exams in the wake of George Floyd's death.

 

The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) suspended Gordon Klein, an accounting professor in the Anderson School of Business where he's been teaching for 39 years, for three weeks beginning on June 25 after he declined a student's request to delay a final exam in light of Floyd's death, the Free Beaconreports.

Anderson School of Management Dean Antonio Bernardo sent an email to students on Monday calling Klein's behavior "troubling" and reportedly extended the time students have to complete exams given the "difficult circumstances."
 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/ucla-professor-suspended-under-police-protection-after-threats

 

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

lol because protesting is more important than getting that degree.

[Dashinka 24,740]

6 minutes ago, Ban Hammer said:

lol because protesting is more important than getting that degree.

What is really scary is the response from the University, so now it is troubling to expect students to actually do any work for their participation awards.

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

12 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

What is really scary is the response from the University, so now it is troubling to expect students to actually do any work for their participation awards.

apparently requiring people to take a test for a degree is racist too.

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

Cultivating the next generation of entitled snowflakes to make Antifa/BLM look trivial.

[laylalex 7,300]

When it comes to these sorts of things I like to go closer to the source. The Daily Bruin is the UCLA student paper and it's consistently fair and non-sensationalistic in my opinion. Here's their take on things, including more on why the university believed suspension was appropriate: https://dailybruin.com/2020/06/04/students-sign-petition-to-fire-ucla-lecturer-after-many-find-his-email-insensitive

 

The tone of that email is unacceptable and unprofessional. If he did not want to give an extension or provide special accommodations, he could have denied the request in a neutral way. There was no need for him to take a sarcastic tone; it added zero to the message he wanted to convey which was a simple "no." This is not to say that it is acceptable for him to be threatened in any way. Respect is a two way street; he is more than old enough to know better. The students need to learn this too -- suspension during an investigation is appropriate, but removal, in my opinion isn't.

[TBoneTX 45,959]

Read the story and was saddened.  Unsafe to say anything out of line at any university.

[laylalex 7,300]

So being rude is acceptable? His email was completely unprofessional. When I was working in PR, if I had sent a dismissive, sarcastic email to a colleague I would have been told I was out of line. If I had sent it to a client, I would have been written up or even fired. 

 

Professors have jobs and they are expected to play by the rules. He could have done this in a way that carried no overtones one way or the other. Here is how I would do it: "Thank you for your email. Unfortunately it is my policy not to grant extensions or special accommodations for exams or final work without the approval of the department." That's it. It really isn't difficult.

 

I feel bad that this professor is being subjected to harassment. But he did not need to needlessly escalate this. He needs to bear responsibility in terms of his discipline for what he said. I didn't say harassment, I said for his discipline.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,378]

White guilt and the hijacking of it for political purposes by liberal politicians, is the sweet posion that is that keeps the black race in chains.

Name one program of liberal appeasement that has not done more harm than good to the black race.

If Black lives matter why do so many young black men die at the hands of other young black men 

 

[Dashinka 24,740]

36 minutes ago, laylalex said:

When it comes to these sorts of things I like to go closer to the source. The Daily Bruin is the UCLA student paper and it's consistently fair and non-sensationalistic in my opinion. Here's their take on things, including more on why the university believed suspension was appropriate: https://dailybruin.com/2020/06/04/students-sign-petition-to-fire-ucla-lecturer-after-many-find-his-email-insensitive

 

The tone of that email is unacceptable and unprofessional. If he did not want to give an extension or provide special accommodations, he could have denied the request in a neutral way. There was no need for him to take a sarcastic tone; it added zero to the message he wanted to convey which was a simple "no." This is not to say that it is acceptable for him to be threatened in any way. Respect is a two way street; he is more than old enough to know better. The students need to learn this too -- suspension during an investigation is appropriate, but removal, in my opinion isn't.

So he is being punished for editorial reasons?  Isn’t UCLA a state supported entity?  Isn’t there something called freedom of speech?  Sure, he could have been more politically correct, but that is his choice.

[Dashinka 24,740]

22 minutes ago, laylalex said:

So being rude is acceptable? His email was completely unprofessional. When I was working in PR, if I had sent a dismissive, sarcastic email to a colleague I would have been told I was out of line. If I had sent it to a client, I would have been written up or even fired. 

 

Professors have jobs and they are expected to play by the rules. He could have done this in a way that carried no overtones one way or the other. Here is how I would do it: "Thank you for your email. Unfortunately it is my policy not to grant extensions or special accommodations for exams or final work without the approval of the department." That's it. It really isn't difficult.

 

I feel bad that this professor is being subjected to harassment. But he did not need to needlessly escalate this. He needs to bear responsibility in terms of his discipline for what he said. I didn't say harassment, I said for his discipline.

I have known many professors that are completely unprofessional, yet they are good teachers that actually help students learn.  Regardless of the way he had responded, if the answer was no, he would have been severely canceled.

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

i wonder if he was flooded with similar requests and was exasperated at it all.

[laylalex 7,300]

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

So he is being punished for editorial reasons?  Isn’t UCLA a state supported entity?  Isn’t there something called freedom of speech?  Sure, he could have been more politically correct, but that is his choice.

 

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

I have known many professors that are completely unprofessional, yet they are good teachers that actually help students learn.  Regardless of the way he had responded, if the answer was no, he would have been severely canceled.

Sure there is freedom of speech, but it may very well be (and I do not know what the UCLA guidelines are) that there are university codes of conduct regarding communications. Just because he is (essentially) a civil servant doesn't mean he can say whatever he wants without consequence. Would it be different if he had said "cry me a river!" or "shut the eff up you whiny diaper baby wah wah wah"? Should there be no consequences for that kind of action? Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences. 

 

Teachers are professionals and should act like professionals. I wrote a long time ago about a professor I had who pushed that boundary with me. I did not report him though I could have. Yes, what happened to me was sexual harassment, but the lesson is that teachers should be models for students in terms of good behavior. Aren't we always hearing that business wants graduates who know how to work in an office? Part of being a good worker is knowing what is and what is not acceptable in the office. Writing snide responses to colleagues and clients is not acceptable.

 

I do not think he was in the wrong to refuse. But I do think he had a clear way to express refusal that wouldn't have landed him in any hot water and yet he proactively chose to be a jerk. What did any of what he had to say add to his refusal except for him to "feel better" about himself because he was exasperated or repulsed by the request? He's a grown up who wrote like a snotty teenager. 

 

Let's say (for example) it was not about the protests, but (and I do not wish this at all) Trump had died. A student who was a fervent supporter asked that a final be postponed because it was really affecting her, and the professor said, 

Quote

Thanks for your suggestion in your email below that I give Republican students special treatment, given the tragedy with Trump. Do you know the names of the classmates that are Republican? How can I identify them since we've been having online classes only? Are there any students that may be possibly Republican leaning, such as voting for Romney? What do you suggest I do with respect to them? A full concession or just half? Also, do you have any idea if any students are from the area near Mar a Lago? I assume that they probably are especially devastated as well. I am thinking that a Democratic student from there might be possibly even more devastated by this, especially because some might think that they're happy even if they are not. My TA is from Palm Beach, so if you don't know, I can probably ask her. Can you guide me on how you think I should achieve a "no-harm" outcome since our sole course grade is from a final exam only? ... Thanks, G. Klein

How do you think a Trump supporter who was in real grief would feel to read that? Doesn't that look unprofessional? I didn't change many words there.

[TBoneTX 45,959]

Most professors would probably respond a lot more snidely than the above, lower the student's grade by a full letter simply on the basis of political sympathies, and experience zero repercussions.

[laylalex 7,300]

9 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Most professors would probably respond a lot more snidely than the above, lower the student's grade by a full letter simply on the basis of political sympathies, and experience zero repercussions.

Exactly. Whether that is fair or not, it is also more opaque and might have served him better.