… FIRE.
This case seems tailored to that organization, which defends free speech rights in universities.
Louie Gohmert, a Texas pol with a hell of a temper, went and got the director of art galleries at Stephen F. Austin State University fired. The director mentioned in a conversation that he thought Gohmert was a fear-monger.
You’re not supposed to lose your job for stating your opinions.
October 21st, 2010 at 12:23PM
The day I see FIRE defending victims of extreme right-wing attacks on academic freedom (as opposed to taking on those dangerous feminists and politically correct assistant directors of resident hall services) will be…well, it will be a day on which I will be very surprised.
October 21st, 2010 at 6:07PM
I see two reasons FIRE may not want to take this issue up:
1. He’s an administrator. (See <a href="http://suburbdad.blogspot.com/2010/10/deans-and-free-speech.html"here for why this matters, from both a legal
and practical standpoint.) FIRE couldn’t win this case.
(Note that SFASU has a legitimate reason to fire him: he just cost them an exhibition.)
2. It’s not clear this is really the university’s fault (rather than Gohmert’s).
October 21st, 2010 at 7:48PM
Jason: You’re right. I heard back from FIRE and they’ve sent the case to the local ACLU.