Monday, February 28, 2011

WWU suspends drama prof on new accusations

“WWU suspends drama prof on new accusations” by Janet I. Tu
The Seattle Times
Published 2/16/11
Retrieved 2/27/11
Complete URL: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014248425_professor17m.html
Intended Audience: teachers, education administrators

Summary: A WWU drama professor has been suspended after new accusations of making inappropriate comments to students. Examples include addressing an overweight student as a “400-pound canary,” a female student as a “bimbo” and “slut,” and a student he thought was gay as “precious.” The professor denies all accusations, claiming they are a conspiratorial attempt by the university to substantiate grounds for his termination. The professor has reportedly received warnings about his behavior from university officials since 1998.

Key Points
• A professor has been repeatedly accused of making inappropriate and demeaning comments to students.
• This behavior began 13 years ago.

Relevance: Judging by his age (69) and the duration of his alleged offenses, it is likely this professor has tenure at the university, which implies a higher degree of job security. A new bill has been introduced to Washington legislation that may directly affect the survival of tenured status. See the article “Teachers’ seniority targeted in house bill” (URL: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014236213_teachers16m.html) for more details.

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