Hmmm... An Interesting Contrast

I mentioned the case of Professor Hans Hoppe at UNLV in a post yesterday. Here's a situation in which a liberal professor gave offense and not only was not punished, but even filed a counterclaim against the student who complained.

Shane Calchera, a student and military veteran, accused associate history professor David Stowell of harassment, saying the antiwar and anti-Bush administration statements on his office door created a learning environment that is hostile to veterans.

The college cleared Stowell of the charge -- a charge he did not learn of until receiving a letter stating he had been exonerated -- but the professor said that the investigation itself was an attack on his free-speech rights.

He filed a complaint Wednesday with the American Civil Liberties Union.

"I was investigated because of my political views because someone objected to them, and that's frightening," Stowell said. "Everyone on campus should be concerned."

Now of course, the statements on his door were typical liberal slogans often seen on the bumpers of Subaru Socialists and Caviar Communists who are in denial that the 1960s are over. And I even agree with the professor -- we should be concerned when a university is inversitgating and sanctioning political or social views. But here is an interesting twist.

Calchera said he took a picture of Stowell's office door late last year, planning to show it to various veterans groups and cite it as evidence that Stowell violated the college's harassment policy.

Calchera said the two talked, and he later tacked a notice about the policy on Stowell's door.

Then Stowell filed a harassment claim, which was later dismissed, though Calchera was ordered not to contact Stowell again, Calchera and Stowell said.

Interesting, isn't it, that the professor engaged in retaliation against the conservative student who filed the complaint -- and that the student was then ordered to stay away from the professor despite the fact that the complaint was dismissed. I guess that freedom of speech only goes one way when you are a liberal. But could you imagine the uproar if Professor Hoppe at UNLV had filed a complaint against his accuser? He would no doubt be facing termination.