There was an interesting column in today campus paper about the hostility in certain places on our campus (a state university) toward conservative Christians (and, in fact, conservatives in general, although it's the hostility based on the student's religion which is germane to this list). One of the significant points of the column, written by a member of the English Dept. faculty, says, "I have before me an e-mail from a conservative Catholic student who had 'consistently been ostracized throughout [last] semester' in a class in which the professor had 'harassed and belittled' her for her faith, ultimately going on a rant that reduced the student to tears."
Assume for the sake of discussion that this description of the student's experience is accurate (and I have no reason to assume it is not). What would happen if the student were to file a complaint that the professor, as a representative of a state institution, was violating either the student's First Amendment right to free exercise or the Establishment Clause (assuming that a state can neither advocate nor denigrate a particular religion)? Does the professor have a defense in claiming academic freedom, or does the First Amendment trump that claim?
The entire story is at http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/22/43fbe6d7caf9f
Brad Pardee
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