Right wing org tells college to let Anti-Islam class be taught that NOBODY signed up for or be sued

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) said today it is demanding that an Oregon community college rehire a teacher fired after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) complained about a class he was scheduled to teach about the religion of Islam. The ACLJ, which represents the instructor, contends that Lane Community College (LCC) in Eugene, Oregon violated the contractual and constitutional rights of the teacher by firing him and canceling the class because of pressure from CAIR.

"This is a textbook case of a public college improperly firing an instructor in response to public pressure," said CeCe Heil, ACLJ Senior Counsel, who is handling the case. "The school had approved the course and our client's request to teach it. Only after CAIR got involved did the school react - caving to political pressure and intimidation - firing our client and canceling the course. The school clearly violated the First Amendment free speech rights of our client. It's disappointing that a community college that should uphold an environment of academic freedom along with diversity and acceptance has failed to do so in this case. We're demanding that the school rehire our client and reinstate the class he had been scheduled to teach. If corrective action is not taken, we're prepared to take legal action to protect the rights of our client."

The ACLJ has given the school until next Wednesday, December 15th, to respond and take corrective action or face possible legal action in federal court.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/aclj-demands-anti-islam-activist-be-allowed-teach-class-islam

Lane Community College has pulled the plug on a noncredit winter course entitled “What is Islam?” after learning about some of the controversial political views of the course’s instructor, Eugene resident Barry Sommer.

Sommer has given talks at the Pacifica Forum, a discussion group forced off the University of Oregon campus following a series of presentations that critics said were anti-Semitic. He also leads the local chapter of ACT! for America, a nonprofit organization that describes itself as an issues advocacy group but that opponents describe as an Islamophobic hate group.

Every year, LCC offers between 100 and 200 noncredit personal enrichment courses, some of which are proposed by community members. The classes generally must attract a minimum of six to eight students to be held, Spilde said.

No one had signed up for the “What is Islam?” course prior to it being cancelled, Spilde said. The eight-week course was slated to cost $55, and Sommer would have earned $160 for teaching it.

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/25636398-41/sommer-course-islam-spilde-college.csp

"Waah! Waah! We're being persecuted when nobody wants to hear us talk about how Muslim Nazi Socialists sank the Titanic, killed the dinosaurs, created the first marijuana joint, invented abortion, and assassinated RFK! Waah!"

Just sayin....

case closed