Professor put on leave after encouraging destruction of anti-abortion display

A professor at Northern Kentucky University has been placed on leave after encouraging her students to destroy an anti-abortion display that had been erected on the campus.

The Associated Press
Monday, April 17, 2006; 11:35 PM

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- A college professor has been put on leave and will retire at the end of the semester after admitting she told students to destroy an anti-abortion display on campus.

Sally Jacobsen, a professor in the literature and language department at Northern Kentucky University, will not return to the school, President James Votruba said.



"I believe what she did was outside the scope of her employment," Votruba said Monday
Professor

She has been effectively fired from the university, but not soon enough, imo. She should not have had the courtesty of being placed on leave extended to her.

The group that had erected the display has decided to file charges against those responsible, according to the student newspaper:

Members of the Northern Right to Life are camping out Thursday to protect their display of anti-abortion crosses, following the damage and removal of the display on Wednesday by protestors.

The group has decided to press charges against those responsible.

"We called the police and told them that we decided to press charges," said Julie Broering, treasurer for the group. The members reached their decision after a day-long deliberation.
Group

This incident is troubling on several fronts. First of all, those responsible have absolutely no right to stifle the first amendment rights of the anti-abortion group. It is sickening, the intolerance that they portray.

Second, the number of "educators" that use their position to further their own agendas and beliefs seems to be on the increase. I don't know what can be done to convince them that their personal beliefs have no place in the classroom, except to encourage those adversely affected to prosecute the offenders. True, this was a graduate level group (except that their actions were very juvenile), but we are all aware that this is happening in all levels of education.

I agree. Im pro choice, but this is an abuse of power. And you should never try to impose your own beliefs on another.

Yeah everyone has the right to their own opinion. No point in destroying their property.

Mark the date on the calendar! Quick! I agree with jsobecky! This may never happen again!

I disagree on your second point, though, because I draw my own personal line between the teacher sharing their opinions and the teacher telling the children to do something destructive, especially something illegal, like destroying property.

I don't happen to see anything wrong with a teacher being a person and sharing their own beliefs, as long as it doesn't cross the line into their personal, sexual, illegal or immoral issues.

In other words, I don't have a problem with a teacher saying, "I'm against abortion and here's why..." But I would have a problem with them saying, "I got pregnant at 16 and had an abortion and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me and here's why..."

In my opinion, teachers have a responsibility to teach, yes, but they also have the right and the responsibility to be a human being, to have and share their opinions and to set an example of a normal person, with emotions and opinions.

originally posted by BH
In other words, I don't have a problem with a teacher saying, "I'm against abortion and here's why..." But I would have a problem with them saying, "I got pregnant at 16 and had an abortion and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me and here's why..."

Oddly (and probaly illogically) I would totally understand the second scenario more than the first. I think I would learn ten times more about the person if they shared their personal experience. It's like the old gypsy way of looking at things and people.

But that's off-topic and neither here nor there. The professor is receiving her just desserts for her actions, and to call for further punshment would be petty. Unless, of course, she does it again, somewhere else.