Pushback: Students win $90K from University of Idaho for restricting their free speech
This college is still hostile to free speech.
Bring a gun to a knife fight: Three students who were punished last spring by the University of Idaho (UI) for daring to disagree publicly with an activist for the queer agenda have now won a $90K settlement as well as getting their records fully cleared.
As part of the settlement, university officials permanently rescinded the no-contact orders they had issued against Peter Perlot, Mark Miller, and Ryan Alexander, members of the Christian Legal Society chapter at the university, and Professor Richard Seamon, CLS’s faculty advisor, and paid $90,000.
I reported this case when it happened, noting that the university had essentially “decided that the only opinions that could be allowed were those that agreed with the queer political agenda, and acted unilaterally to punish these Christians for refusing to bow to that rule.” The university has now lost, and lost badly.
To get the full flavor of the oppressive, intolerant attitude of the queer advocates, you must read the actual lawuit complaint [pdf]. When the Christian students suggested they all get together to peacefully exchange views, the queer activists responded by running to the authorities to shut the Christians up. Worse, college authorities were only too happy to do so.
Will this victory bring free speech back to the University of Idaho? Based on this weasly statement from a college spokeswoman, that remains unclear:
“The settlement, for the U of I is a business decision and in the best interest of our students, the university and the state of Idaho,” she wrote. “Litigation costs money and time as well as creates the potential for ongoing trauma to students. The university is often disadvantaged in such a case as laws prevent us from sharing the full story. This case, for us, has always been about safe access to education, which is paramount.”
To translate: The university settled reluctantly, and will still do its darnedest to make life hell for anyone who dares say anything it doesn’t like, while protecting those who have opinions it does like. Since UI is a public college whose existence relies on the state’s legislature, it is therefore imperative that elected officials keep a close eye on what it does.
And if legislators drop the ball, looking the other way if UI administrators once again abuse their power, it is then imperative that these Christian students force the politicians to pick it up. Any victory for freedom is never final, especially when tyrants dominate the culture as they do today.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. All editions can also be purchased direct from the ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $5.00). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
This college is still hostile to free speech.
Bring a gun to a knife fight: Three students who were punished last spring by the University of Idaho (UI) for daring to disagree publicly with an activist for the queer agenda have now won a $90K settlement as well as getting their records fully cleared.
As part of the settlement, university officials permanently rescinded the no-contact orders they had issued against Peter Perlot, Mark Miller, and Ryan Alexander, members of the Christian Legal Society chapter at the university, and Professor Richard Seamon, CLS’s faculty advisor, and paid $90,000.
I reported this case when it happened, noting that the university had essentially “decided that the only opinions that could be allowed were those that agreed with the queer political agenda, and acted unilaterally to punish these Christians for refusing to bow to that rule.” The university has now lost, and lost badly.
To get the full flavor of the oppressive, intolerant attitude of the queer advocates, you must read the actual lawuit complaint [pdf]. When the Christian students suggested they all get together to peacefully exchange views, the queer activists responded by running to the authorities to shut the Christians up. Worse, college authorities were only too happy to do so.
Will this victory bring free speech back to the University of Idaho? Based on this weasly statement from a college spokeswoman, that remains unclear:
“The settlement, for the U of I is a business decision and in the best interest of our students, the university and the state of Idaho,” she wrote. “Litigation costs money and time as well as creates the potential for ongoing trauma to students. The university is often disadvantaged in such a case as laws prevent us from sharing the full story. This case, for us, has always been about safe access to education, which is paramount.”
To translate: The university settled reluctantly, and will still do its darnedest to make life hell for anyone who dares say anything it doesn’t like, while protecting those who have opinions it does like. Since UI is a public college whose existence relies on the state’s legislature, it is therefore imperative that elected officials keep a close eye on what it does.
And if legislators drop the ball, looking the other way if UI administrators once again abuse their power, it is then imperative that these Christian students force the politicians to pick it up. Any victory for freedom is never final, especially when tyrants dominate the culture as they do today.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. All editions can also be purchased direct from the ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $5.00). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
How do we fight political warfare in America?
Lawyers, Courts and Money.
But how far behind have we become in the war?
Bonus video: https://youtu.be/Jvqk8QaRZOI
In Idaho no less. Incredible.
I just spent an hour at the UI law school yesterday, talking to some students that were there studying for finals.
The school– teachers and administration are rabidly left wing. Students are terrified to disagree, because they know that if they are not kicked out, their lives will be hell for the remainder of their prison time at the college.
Just walking down the corridor you see rainbow flags on every instructor’s door. As one kid said, a white male, “Yah, everybody is welcome here but me.’
These Christian kids won, but as I was told, they are now persona non grata at the school: their lives will be made very difficult now.
Their new hire Jellum is particularly egregious in sermonizing left wing extremism from her pullpit. I’m sure the college will be doing their best to get rid of Professor Seamons. He is interesting in the fact that he is a classic liberal, yet stuck with these kids. I’m sure the college will make him pay.
So glad that place is in my rear view mirror. The last two deans are embroiled in legal controversy which has rocked the school and its pedogogy. The new dean is hard to read at this point in time.
Yep Cotour, these days Christians need a “Christian Legal Society chapter” at their universities.
Meanwhile the unsolved brutal stabbing murders of the four University of Idaho students a month ago has disappeared from the news cycle. It must have taken a turn into a direction that put liberals in a bad light. But at least the U of I students are safe from the influence of Christians.
They wonder why their enrollment has been dropping over the past years. You can’t blame Covid on that one!
As an alumni, I am ashamed at U of I’s behavior.