Today’s blacklisted American: Leftist professor fired by university for questioning its racist agenda
Ryan Hall
They’re coming for you next: English instructor Ryan Hall, a self-described leftist “who has never voted for a conservative in my life,” was fired by Western Kentucky University when he questioned its leftist and racist Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda that was also leaving students fearful to speak their minds out of fear of being punished.
From the second link:
“While I may not categorize myself as a conservative, the assaults on free speech, self-reliance, meritocracy, the family, science, and truth should alarm everyone,” Hall said in an email interview this month with The College Fix. “Many have pointed out that our institutions of higher education increasingly look like the temples for a state religion attempting to create hierarchies based on byzantine and bogus ideas; such systems have never worked out well historically, no matter how many newly minted sinecures suggest otherwise,” he said.
Hall told The Fix he had canceled all of his classes, five of them, for a week while he confronted his university about its bias in February 2022. “They fired me that same month after a few days of discussion. … They fired me because I would not return until we reached an agreeable solution, not because of the classes I had canceled, according to the email I received,” Hall said.
The first link above goes to an op-ed Hall wrote for an organization called the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, which appears to be a loose coalition of Substack writers opposed to the bigoted policies of most universities. In that op-ed Hall added these facts as to why he challenged his superiors at Western Kentucky:
In the last year, students had repeatedly admitted to me that they simply ape their professors’ politics to get through their coursework, and to avoid confrontation or grading bias. They also told me that they put little time into general education classes—particularly the humanities—because they felt that the faculty politicized their course material. In the Fall 2021 semester, a lengthy discussion with a perceptive undergraduate student highlighted the danger of universities promoting partisan ideas and politics. He pointed out that many students resent the biased teaching they were getting, and increasingly see the humanities and general education as not simply irrelevant but dishonest. Often, students aren’t critiquing or grappling with ideas at all because rank partiality turns them away.
This claim troubles me profoundly, and I wish I could say I haven’t witnessed its truth. But the reality is that many students feel that the university doesn’t open their minds; instead, it shuts their mouths. [emphasis mine]
Hall also described at length and in detail the specific actions the university had taken that proved it was “promoting partisan ideas and politics,” such as endorsing the Black Lives Matter organization and asking for donations to help that organization pay the bail for its rioters, including one man who had attempted to murder a Jewish political candidate in Kentucky.
Hall wanted the university to at least reconsider these actions. Instead, it immediately fired him, not because he canceled his classes but because he had dared ask them to reconsider those policies. Such intellectual flexibility however is no allowed on college campuses. You will either bow to the god of critical race theory and leftist dogma, or you will be excommunicated.
Hall was excommunicated.
The state legislators of Kentucky should note this action, especially because the Republican majority in both houses has grown. Western Kentucky University was originally established by an act of the state’s general assembly in 1906, and the state still routinely funds more than one fifth of its budget [pdf]. In fact, in the past few years that funding has become a larger percentage of the college’s revenues.
Why are these so-called conservative elected officials funding such garbage? The university’s state funding should be cut immediately. And if the legislature instead passes a bill “banning” the teaching of critical race theory at the university, you will know that these Republicans are frauds and cowards, looking for a feel-good but meaningless action that will please their constituents without accomplishing a damn thing.
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. The ebook can also be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get 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.
Ryan Hall
They’re coming for you next: English instructor Ryan Hall, a self-described leftist “who has never voted for a conservative in my life,” was fired by Western Kentucky University when he questioned its leftist and racist Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda that was also leaving students fearful to speak their minds out of fear of being punished.
From the second link:
“While I may not categorize myself as a conservative, the assaults on free speech, self-reliance, meritocracy, the family, science, and truth should alarm everyone,” Hall said in an email interview this month with The College Fix. “Many have pointed out that our institutions of higher education increasingly look like the temples for a state religion attempting to create hierarchies based on byzantine and bogus ideas; such systems have never worked out well historically, no matter how many newly minted sinecures suggest otherwise,” he said.
Hall told The Fix he had canceled all of his classes, five of them, for a week while he confronted his university about its bias in February 2022. “They fired me that same month after a few days of discussion. … They fired me because I would not return until we reached an agreeable solution, not because of the classes I had canceled, according to the email I received,” Hall said.
The first link above goes to an op-ed Hall wrote for an organization called the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, which appears to be a loose coalition of Substack writers opposed to the bigoted policies of most universities. In that op-ed Hall added these facts as to why he challenged his superiors at Western Kentucky:
In the last year, students had repeatedly admitted to me that they simply ape their professors’ politics to get through their coursework, and to avoid confrontation or grading bias. They also told me that they put little time into general education classes—particularly the humanities—because they felt that the faculty politicized their course material. In the Fall 2021 semester, a lengthy discussion with a perceptive undergraduate student highlighted the danger of universities promoting partisan ideas and politics. He pointed out that many students resent the biased teaching they were getting, and increasingly see the humanities and general education as not simply irrelevant but dishonest. Often, students aren’t critiquing or grappling with ideas at all because rank partiality turns them away.
This claim troubles me profoundly, and I wish I could say I haven’t witnessed its truth. But the reality is that many students feel that the university doesn’t open their minds; instead, it shuts their mouths. [emphasis mine]
Hall also described at length and in detail the specific actions the university had taken that proved it was “promoting partisan ideas and politics,” such as endorsing the Black Lives Matter organization and asking for donations to help that organization pay the bail for its rioters, including one man who had attempted to murder a Jewish political candidate in Kentucky.
Hall wanted the university to at least reconsider these actions. Instead, it immediately fired him, not because he canceled his classes but because he had dared ask them to reconsider those policies. Such intellectual flexibility however is no allowed on college campuses. You will either bow to the god of critical race theory and leftist dogma, or you will be excommunicated.
Hall was excommunicated.
The state legislators of Kentucky should note this action, especially because the Republican majority in both houses has grown. Western Kentucky University was originally established by an act of the state’s general assembly in 1906, and the state still routinely funds more than one fifth of its budget [pdf]. In fact, in the past few years that funding has become a larger percentage of the college’s revenues.
Why are these so-called conservative elected officials funding such garbage? The university’s state funding should be cut immediately. And if the legislature instead passes a bill “banning” the teaching of critical race theory at the university, you will know that these Republicans are frauds and cowards, looking for a feel-good but meaningless action that will please their constituents without accomplishing a damn thing.
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. The ebook can also be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get 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.
Question on the founding and funding of Western Kentucky, and other “public” universities:
Who is the actual owner?
Does the outside funding cause the ownership to shift? and shift to where?
If the state still owns the university I would expect that legislation can be passed to correct the course and actions of the university.
I would hope that any outside funding was accepted only on the condition that the state retains all control.
Chris: The way I see it, it doesn’t matter who owns the university. If threatened to lose more than $70 million in funding, the university will have no choice but to listen.
And if it doesn’t then let it sink or swim on its own, as it goes woke.
There is risk to abandoning the post. Now contrast that to a leftist occupation or sit in that usually end with a capitulation by the administration and petty punishments to the transgressors. You’d think Dr Hall would get a break from these people.
But look who’s in charge. A wicked example is tonight’s State of the Union that will feature several special guests. Dare we detail St George’s contributions to society? I don’t mean George of Lydda, but St George of Floyd. I think we have to be careful on that one. This is very thin ice. Why the leftist want us to take that path escapes me.
I am reminded of an addage about how a fish rots.
Never question your superiors.
In a university those with more ‘letters’ after their name are the leaders everyone should follow.
The power of the purse: It’s time to use it.
The left is consuming it’s own. As this churning continues in the future, you have to wonder were the societal buoyancy is pierced. Eventually enough people are turned off from all political persuasions, that it is simply not tolerated. Because a just society can not go on to the logical conclusion of this path or it will cease to exit.
Many have pointed out that our institutions of higher education increasingly look like the temples for a state religion
Hey! I think he gets it!
(Of course, it’s HIS religion that’s doing that. That part he doesn’t yet get.)
Ah, agenda.
“Children” in a DISNEY cartoon written by hateful racist and manipulative, radical, Leftist, “Progressive” operatives embedded within multinational “politically correct” corporations who are looking to transform the world into a Globalist utopia where everyone has equal results in all they do instructing and scolding all in the country. Much like the “how dare you” climate child, Gretta Thunberg :
“Our account is still outstanding”: https://youtu.be/Ydut4Q2usuc
“Your account”? You have no account. You have grown up for the most part among the freest, as it is, most enriched and empowered people on the planet. And you have every opportunity today to fully partake in that freedom, empowerment and enrichment. There has unarguably been real consequential evolution on these subjects.
Teach children mutual respect in the home and in school today and do not teach them these hateful Historyonics based on a long dead yesterday which no one today has much of any direct connection to and the radical Leftist agenda to destroy. You are not a slave.
When there exists people who through political desperation seek to train and indoctrinate children to do their bidding then that is too much, either Left or Right. If this condition is not dealt with a country eternally split will result. And that at the minimum is the extreme radical Lefts Globalist goal.
There is a special place in Satan’s hell for you when you seek to brainwash children to do your bidding.
(Historyonics: Def: Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention)
Yes, a “leftist” has been fired for NOT being ENOUGH LEFTIST!! What do those idiots THINK will happen IF the INSANE LEFT gains FULL CONTROL?? Rather than just lose your gas oven, you might be shoved INTO one!! I do pity any DECENT student that has to listen to the PROPAGANDA being defecated into their minds! Hopefully enough people will see the DAMAGE the DEMOcrats/rinos are inflicting upon them and demand a change! Maybe the R’s should state “Hey, you can vote for us! We’ll make your lives better, safer, and STILL pay you NOT TO WORK”!!
The modern left does not care about your rights.
As long as they are doing what they want they are fine.
They do not need guns so your gun rights do not matter.
They do not need to eat meat. So your wish to eat meat does not matter.
They only see dirty filthy smoggy big cities so they think you need to clean up your lifestyle.
They do not drive, they take public transport. So why do you need to drive?
And the young people have been taught that their parents need to take care of them well into adulthood. So their government should take care of all of their needs.
If you do not agree with everything they want then your a far right extremist and need to be marginalized.