Lds Student Resists Professor' "Stomp On Jesus" Object Lesson

[CV75]

He was not suspended from class for not stepping on the paper. There were other students who did not step on it and were not suspended. The university stated he was suspended for threatening the professor.

That would sure qualify as another consideration!

[ERayR]

He was not suspended from class for not stepping on the paper. There were other students who did not step on it and were not suspended. The university stated he was suspended for threatening the professor.

Threatening the professor with what? Bodily harm? Exposure to the news media? It would depend on what his treats were as to how appropriate the discipline was.

[Calm]

Threatening the professor with what? Bodily harm? Exposure to the news media? It would depend on what his treats were as to how appropriate the discipline was.

Agree. As of the last time I did a search on this, there was nothing specific given.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Hey guys all is well in ZION nothing to see here.

On another note the Universtiy did issue an apology. My reference for now was that I heard it on the radio.

[ERayR]

Hey guys all is well in ZION nothing to see here.

On another note the Universtiy did issue an apology. My reference for now was that I heard it on the radio.

It seems they have suddenly seen the error of their ways.

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/university-jesus-stomp-student-will-not-be-punished.html

[Robert F. Smith]

Yeh, the devout Mormon kid who got suspended has had the last laugh.

http://news.yahoo.com/teachers-stomped-american-flag-jesus-officially-no-longer-084614330.html .

[Calm]

I hope he is not laughing about the reason Poole was placed on leave:

School officials expressed concerned about Poole’s physical safety after he allegedly received death threats and racially-tinged messages on his voicemail. Poole is black.

“I’ve never seen anything like it on campus, the vitriol that has been released on this guy,” Chris Robe, assistant professor of communications and faculty union president, told the Sun Sentinel.

In an email to The Daily Caller, Lisa Metcalf, an FAU spokeswoman confirmed Poole’s employment status.

“As a result of the reaction to a recent exercise in Dr. Poole’s intercultural communications class, the instructor’s personal safety has been compromised,” Metcalf wrote. “Dr. Poole will not teach any classes, conduct office hours or be present at any of FAU’s campuses or sites.”

[Calm]

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott asked the State University System to investigate the matter and called Rotela to apologize.

Rotela, reached Friday, said he was shocked to learn Poole may be facing threats to his safety.

"Leave the poor guy alone. I'm pretty sure he's been through enough," Rotela said. "People make mistakes. He shouldn't be demonized or killed for it."

http://www.sun-senti...0,5754499.story

Faculty are concerned about FAU's reaction to the incident, Robe said. After first defending the assignment, the university promised not to use it again. But professors don't vet their class assignments with administrators, he said, and academic freedom is included in the collective bargaining agreement.

"Someone being offended does not give the university the right to censor," he said. "Part of the mission of the modern university is to discuss controversial topics in a respectful fashion. Once that's compromised, people are going to be afraid to discuss anything that someone finds offensive."

[Calm]

http://www.hernandotoday.com/he/list/hernando-columns/faus-symbolic-test-of-religious-tolerance-b82471836z1

Jim Neuliep, a communications professor at St. Norbert College, a Catholic school in Wisconsin, said he designed the exercise to show students the power of symbols. Neuliep wrote the textbook Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach and the manual.

Neuliep told the Palm Beach Post that in his classes most students won’t step on the paper They tell him “Jesus is important” or “I love Jesus.”

“Students, they get it,” he said. “They walk away understanding the importance of symbols.”

Why not ask them to step on papers with the name of Mohammed or another religious figure? Because nearly 80 percent of Americans who identify with a religion claim Christianity.

“We’re in the United States,” Neuliep said, “and this is probably the most important symbol. . . It wouldn’t make sense to use somebody else’s religious prominent figure”

Poole hasn’t responded to my requests to hear his version of what happened with Rotela.

It’s unlikely, though, that he intended to offend Christians any more than Neuliep, who says the exercise affirms their faith.

Poole serves on the usher board of Lighthouse Worship Center Church of God in Christ in Fort Lauderdale.

I was a member of the Church of God in Christ, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the U.S., for 37 years. I doubt many atheists would feel comfortable during a COGIC worship service. The shouting and speaking in tongues can be a bit much to take even for the believers.

If COGIC members are intolerant it certainly isn’t of Christians. Like Christians of other denominations, some COGIC members are often intolerant of people of other faiths, Islam for example, and people of no faith at all.

Yet too many Christians are quick to play the intolerance card.

[Calm]

The textbook: http://books.google.com/books/about/Intercultural_Communication.html?id=tDkkUSOpmKMC

Claimed to be widely used...

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2013/03/deandre_poole_fau_stomp_jesus_defense.php

Commentary supporting Poole, stating that the lesson demonstrated exactly what is was supposed to do...the power of symbols, so far are ignoring an important part of the teachers' role...not just teaching the exercise, but helping the student process it. It would appear from Rotela's reaction that Poole was not successful with at least one student...and if he performed as Rotela described (refusing to discuss Rotela's reaction) then he failed in his teaching.

[Calm]

http://www.insidehig...nded-jesus-case

Robé -- who did not name the student -- said that Poole has been ordered by the university not to talk to any reporters, and is thus unable to defend himself, even as he has been widely criticized as anti-Christian (among other things). Poole is non-tenure-track, working on a one-year contract. Conservative activists are calling for him to be fired.

"He's been under a gag order, and the story has been framed all wrong," Robé said.

In response to questions from Inside Higher Ed, Florida Atlantic released a statement that said that federal privacy laws prevented it from answering any questions about "a specific student." The statement did say that "there is a tremendous amount of misinformation that has been reported regarding this incident, but unfortunately federal privacy laws restrict our ability to correct that information."

On questions of banning an exercise from use ever again, the statement said the following: "Florida Atlantic University is deeply sorry for any hurt that this incident may have caused the community and beyond. As an institution of higher learning, we embrace open discourse in our classrooms. Based upon the emotions brought about by this exercise it will not be used in the future and no students will be disciplined in any way related to the exercise, either inside or outside the classroom. The university supports its faculty members in their efforts to develop curriculum that will bring about learning and enhance students’ experience at FAU."

[Calm]

From the comment section of the last link from "latinoprof":

It would be interesting to see the "whole picture" here. I have read the workbook assignment from the textbook written by James Neuliep. The assignment is poorly conceived and Dr. Poole exercised poor judgment in using it. Has the assignment been to assess significant people of highest esteem in the lives of individual students and then have the students write those names (parents, spouse, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mohammed, President Obama, Virgin Mary, Jesus, etc.), they would have provided a much broader and relevant experience. By limiting this exercise to Jesus Christ, both Drs. Neulip and Poole missed the opportunity to bring about a learning experience that could have been edifying for the entire class. Regarding the threat: the student is alleged to have threatened to report the instructor to academic leadership and that Dr. Poole would be hearing from him again. Anyone who has taught at the university level for any amount of time is certainly aware of such "threats" and can understand why an adjunct faculty member would feel threatened. But that is different than threatening the instructor with violence. Mr. Rotela was not only suspended from the class, but FAU's letter barred him from contact with any other student in the class, so Dr. Robe should have mentioned that Dr. Poole was not the only one under an imposed "gag order."

[Calm]

Apparently the student felt he was in the position to instruct the instructor:

“He’s being punished because he told the professor to never do the assignment again because it’s offensive and that he was going to complain to the university,” he said.

Rotela’s attorney said he believes the perceived threat came when Rotela told the teacher “don’t do that again” – in reference to stomping on the paper. The student also told the instructor, “You’ll be hearing from me.”

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/university-files-charges-against-student-who-refused-to-stomp-on-jesus.html

[bluebell]

Rotela could have handled it so much better.

The university also seems to have dug themselves a bit of a hole. They should not have been so quick to apologize for the experiment and throw the professor under the bus in the name of no bad publicity.

[Calm]

The idea that one student has the right to dictate whether or not an assignment is appropriate is ridiculous. If Rotela had put his foot down about that...which it seems so since this is what he reported himself, I can so understand why the professor decided to end the conversation. And I can very much understand why the university would have seen the comment he was going to take it to the media as a threat. And depending on his tone the "don't do it again...you will be hearing from me" as one as well.

He did wait until he was suspended to actually take it to the media...that was better than his gut response.

Now if he had collected a petition among the students to ask that the lesson be altered or eliminated...that would have been a better response than demanding it be stopped simply because it offended him, which is what amounted to in the beginning.

FAU is having some other problems with its student body, perhaps that is why it was so eager for this to go away.

[cdowis]

The idea that one student has the right to dictate whether or not an assignment is appropriate is ridiculous. If Rotela had put his foot down about that...which it seems so since this is what he reported himself, I can so understand why the professor decided to end the conversation. And I can very much understand why the university would have seen the comment he was going to take it to the media as a threat. And depending on his tone the "don't do it again...you will be hearing from me" as one as well.

He did wait until he was suspended to actually take it to the media...that was better than his gut response.

Now if he had collected a petition among the students to ask that the lesson be altered or eliminated...that would have been a better response than demanding it be stopped simply because it offended him, which is what amounted to in the beginning.

Let us suppose that this was a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. where the students were supposed to stomp on it.

Would it be absurd for a black student to be offended and demand that this be stopped? Would he quietly gather student petitions?

The left radicals have the right to demand, scream and holler, but when someone is upset over the attacks on Christianity............ they tell us how upsurd it is to be so offended. Christians should "quietly gather petitions" and leave the media out of it.

Will a black student

[thesometimesaint]

Let us suppose that this was a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. where the students were supposed to stomp on it.

Would it be absurd for a black student to be offended and demand that this be stopped? Would he quietly gather student petitions?

The left radicals have the right to demand, scream and holler, but when someone is upset over the attacks on Christianity............ they tell us how upsurd it is to be so offended. Christians should "quietly gather petitions" and leave the media out of it.

Will a black student

The purpose of the activity was to show the power of symbols have on people.

[bluebell]

Let us suppose that this was a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. where the students were supposed to stomp on it.

Would it be absurd for a black student to be offended and demand that this be stopped? Would he quietly gather student petitions?

The left radicals have the right to demand, scream and holler, but when someone is upset over the attacks on Christianity............ they tell us how upsurd it is to be so offended. Christians should "quietly gather petitions" and leave the media out of it.

Will a black student

This wasn't an attack on Christianity. If i understand the information available correctly, the instructor and the person who created the experiment are both actively Christian.

[Scott Lloyd]

Agree. As of the last time I did a search on this, there was nothing specific given.

Vowing to take a matter to a person's superior could be perceived as a threat in that it could impact the security or stability of the person's employment.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Meh

[Calm]

The left radicals have the right to demand, scream and holler, but when someone is upset over the attacks on Christianity............ they tell us how upsurd it is to be so offended. Christians should "quietly gather petitions" and leave the media out of it.

Are you suggesting that I am supporting a leftish political stance with my suggestion that the student's demand to change the program based solely on his one complaint was arrogant and unreasonable?

The instruction given was to expect some to be offended. I never suggested it was wrong for the student to be offended.

As to whether or not a black student would have done things differently...surely that would depend on the individual him/herself.

I said nothing about leaving the media completely out of it, though I do believe it shouldn't have been part of the original threat, but rather should have been stated as a resort after attempting to make the change through the university....which is what the student actually did even if his original response was different. And the student should have made it clear that it was not his refusal to 'stomp' that got him suspended but something else (and perhaps he did because the info was included in some of the first reports but the media chose to ignore him for the 'better' story).

Again my point was it is absurd for one student----a person with no authority and no obvious inherent insight into what is a proper teaching methodology---to expect a professor to change his/her teaching process based solely on that person's emotional reaction/demand. According to the student's own description his reasoning was "this is wrong, therefore don't do it again". That this is an unreasonable request would be the same in my view whether the person was a right wing or left wing or totally neutral when it comes to politics or religion. Would you (cdowis) accept one person's demand to stop teaching others about the gospel in his neighbourhood if someone observed you doing missionary work and was offended?

Gathering a petition--whether done quietly or an 'in your face' style---would demonstrate that it was not a solely individual reaction and therefore would merit more attention and consideration than one person's reaction...and thus would be a much more reasonable approach. And if the petition itself was ignored by the professor and then the university, going to the media is a perfectly acceptable option in my view.

[thesometimesaint]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/02/florida-stomp-jesus-student-challenges-teacher-to-televised-debate/

That student got what he wanted. The teacher has been removed from his position at the school and is in hiding because of death threats.

[bluebell]

http://www.rawstory....levised-debate/

That student got what he wanted. The teacher has been removed from his position at the school and is in hiding because of death threats.

Sounds like Rotela deserved to be suspended. In my opinion, it's the adults who have taken this story and changed it to fit their own need for religious drama, who are really embarrassing.

More adults, who should be mature enough to see the ways Rotela went wrong, should be helping him learn from his mistakes in handling this situation, not applauding him for being the hero in a story line that isn't even true.

[Calm]

http://www.rawstory....levised-debate/

That student got what he wanted. The teacher has been removed from his position at the school and is in hiding because of death threats.

Rotela stated that demonizing the teacher and sending death threats was totally inappropriate.

Implying that "what he wanted" was the removal of the teacher and death threats against him is as bad as claiming that the kid was kicked out of class simply because he refused to "stomp on Jesus".

[Calm]

Sounds like Rotela deserved to be suspended. In my opinion, it's the adults who have taken this story and changed it to fit their own need for religious drama, who are really embarrassing.

More adults, who should be mature enough to see the ways Rotela went wrong, should be helping him learn from his mistakes in handling this situation, not applauding him for being the hero in a story line that isn't even true.

But according to Poole, Rotella not only refused to participate, he physically threatened him.Poole told New Times that after class, Rotella approached him and said, “I want to hit you.”

If true, I can see why the suspension...but he could have said it to express the level of his offending feelings without any intent to actually follow through...after all, he didn't attempt to actually hit the professor.

It sounds to me like there wasn't much real communication going on from either participant, both focused on points that weren't the actual central point of the other's position.

And it seems strange to me that the student is okay with going public with a debate and with his claims of what was being taught but refuses to be interviewed about the "alleged confrontation"....wants to have his cake and eat it too, it seems to me.