James Tracy, a tenured professor at Florida Atlantic University,
was fired because he dared to express his contrarian views and lay out
his research about the Sandy Hook shooting.
Tracy did so as a private citizen on his blog. He made that clear.
But the University didn't care. They ripped away his tenure and job.
Now Tracy is suing. As he should. Because the issue is a little thing called the 1st Amendment.
I've read his court filing. It appears to me that Tracy's own union
took his side and then betrayed him. It appears to me that the
University cooked up a fake reason for firing him: he didn't send in a
vaguely worded form they wanted him to sign.
But the real reason had to do with Tracy's view about Sandy Hook: that
it was a hoax. It doesn't matter whether you or I or anyone else agrees
with his assessment. What matters is his inherent right to express his
view.
The University doesn't want to grant Tracy that right. The University
is worried about press blowback and "reputation." Apparently, shutting
down free speech doesn't affect the University's standing in this day
and age. It's an easy sell.
Well, it shouldn't be.
There is a lot riding on the outcome of this court case.
Where are the thousands of college professors all over the country who
should be flocking to Tracy's side with uncompromising support? Where
are their voices?
These professors are already sold out or they're afraid, and that tells
you a great deal about the current academic climate in America. The
professors are captives of the system in which they work and live.
They're know which way to jump on any given issue. They know when to
shut their mouths. They know when to launch an attack against an
officially un-favored person. They know the boundaries and the game,
and they play it.
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