UT Faculty Protests New Law By Teaching Divisive Concepts During “Speak In”
Image Credit: jpellgen (@1179_jp) / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Faculty members at the University of Tennessee (UT) are protesting a new law this week by teaching the very concepts they say the Divisive Concepts Act aims to ban.
All participants of the protest which is being called a “speak-in” are tenured. Tenured instructors have speech-related protections that may shield them from any repercussions of their challenge to what they see as a law that restricts free speech.
Event organizers, who compare the current conflict over divisive concepts to the legal battles that surrounded the teaching of evolution, said in a statement, “the law attempts to chill classroom speech about race, gender, sexuality, and class – in effect, about social inequalities of all kinds – by naming discussion of such inequalities ‘divisive.’ These social inequalities define the history of the United States and the world, both historically and in our current moment.”
The aim of the new law is to ensure that students and employees of colleges and universities are not subject to penalty or discrimination if they choose not to endorse any particular divisive concept. As publicly funded universities in Tennessee go “woke,” the law protects students and employees from adopting ideologies as a requirement for hiring, tenure, promotion or graduation.
The protest is the first of its type in the United States according to Kristina Gehrman, an associate professor of Philosophy at UT. Faculty members plan to teach on controversial topics over two days and there was also a public panel discussion regarding the new law held yesterday.
Co-organizer Jon Shefner, a professor of Sociology, views the law as a threat to comprehensive education. “If faculty are warned against teaching about inequalities now, it is a short step to being prohibited from teaching about other truths such as climate change,” he said.
However, the law clearly states that it does not infringe on the rights of freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment, nor does it infringe on the rights of academic freedom of faculty in public institutions of higher education.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
So their tenured, so what. Cut the funding of UT by the amount of these lawbreakers salaries and perks, plus thirty percent for punitive damages. If UT retaliates by cutting anything but them, tack on another thirty percent of their funding. I still say the lottery money would be better spent at the school level where it would pay for vocational training, class materials that teachers are buying out of their own pockets and I still believe in merit bonuses for exceptional teachers.
FIRE!! these tenured WOKE teachers, then cut ALL Funding until these Law breakers obey the law!! This Tenured Garbage for teacher has done nothing but created a Liberal Monster.
I was taught theory behind social behavior, cultural differences based on historical facts, not in an attempt to influence thinking but respect our cultural diversity, religious differences in our society. Education, not indoctrination.
other truths like climate change? Ha.
The comments by conservatives here are graphic proof they are only interested in censoring views they don’t like—especially on subjects about which they are woefully ignorant. It’s pretty clear conservatives are using the bogeyman of “wokeness” (and “CRT” and now LOL, FURRIES!!!) as an excuse to groom their kids as bigots. Jesus was “woke.” I mean, ask any Pharisee from his time about letting adulterers walk away from a proper stoning.