Liberal Bias? University Allegedly Cans Former GOP Politician Over Conservative Views
- Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:53pm by
Billy Hallowell
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Tom Emmer
For years, conservatives have alleged liberal bias at institutions of higher learning, with many schools distinguishing themselves as bastions for liberal thought.
As the years have progressed, right-leaning professors and students have complained and lamented the indoctrination and one-sidedness that they say characterizes the environments at most American universities.
Now, in the latest case of potential ideological discrimination, Tom Emmer, the 2010 GOP candidate for Minnesota governor, a radio host and a former state politician, is claiming that Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minn., hired him — then reneged — based on his political views.
Emmer, whose views are widely known in the state, claims that the university offered him a position to teach business law as an “executive in residence.” In fact, he says he had already hashed the details out and attended a faculty meeting before he was later told that he wouldn’t be able to teach at the school.
Hamline, thus far, has been relatively mum about the situation. The university recently released a brief statement addressing the incident, though it sheds little light on the reasoning behind the school’s decision not to allow Emmer into the classroom. University spokeswoman JacQui Getty told the Pioneer Press that, at this point, the college would have no further comment on the matter.
“Hamline was in discussions with Mr. Emmer about the opportunity for him to teach a business law class, and we were working together on a proposal that would position him as executive-in-residence within our business school,” the statement confirms. “Although there were conversations over several months about the opportunity for Mr. Emmer to join the Hamline faculty, there was no finalized agreement between Mr. Emmer and the university.”
Emmer, of course, says that this isn’t the full story and that his agreement with the college was set in stone. According to the former lawmaker, Anne McCarthy, dean of Hamline‘s School of Business (who apparently also ran as a Republican for Maryland comptroller back in 2006), had already agreed to hire him.
In an interview with the Blaze, Emmer explained that when he attended a faculty meeting at the school, it became clear that some professors were annoyed by the hire. He says these same individuals organized an effort to have him removed because of his conservative beliefs.
“It’s political bigotry is what it is,” he told the Press. “If this is what’s going on in all these institutions of higher learning, the most important thing we can do is expose it.” He reiterated these same statements to the Blaze, emphasizing the need to expose the alleged discriminatory hiring practices. Listen to Emmer discuss these issues on AM1130 News Talk Radio, below:
Emmer claims he was offered a position on Sept. 19 and that a written contract was later assembled (but not signed). A few weeks later, he filled out the necessary paperwork. On Oct. 7, Emmer says he received an e-mail from Kristen Norman-Major, an associate professor, confirming he would be teaching business law. On Nov. 23, though, the situation began to devolve. Emmer claims that McCarthy contacted him and they discussed faculty opposition to his hiring.
Based on the text of the October note, should it be legitimate, it does appear Emmer was confirmed to teach at least one section of the course. Here’s the e-mail:
According to the Star Tribune, a separate e-mail from McCarthy to Emmer read, “Please note, if you have another development and don’t want to come to Hamline on a full-time basis, you can always teach next spring as an adjunct to get your feet wet and embark on a teaching career.”
In addition to these e-mails, some very curious statements have come from a professor at the college that add fuel to Emmer‘s discrimination claims. Jim Bonilla, an associate professor at the business school and co-director of the “Race, Gender & Beyond Faculty Development Program,” has admitted to writing to McCarthy to voice his concern over Emmer‘s hiring.
A graphic on the Hamline University web site touting "social justice"
According to the Press report, he also claims to know of two other professors outside of the business school who raised similar concerns with university President Linda Hanson. Bonilla reportedly told the paper that hiring someone so staunchly opposed to gay rights goes against the university’s spirit of non-discrimination.
“That would be money wasted,” he said. By not hiring Emmer, Bonilla contends that the college is making a decision ”congruent with our values and a sound business decision.”
“It’s not just the issue of gay marriage,” Bonilla said in another interview. “[Emmer] has said that you can’t be a patriotic American and be a Democrat. There is an expectation that a teacher will think people can disagree and still be patriots.”
But Emmer says, despite his strong views, he’s an accepting person. ”Anybody who knows me knows that I have my beliefs, but I respect yours,” he says. In his interview with the Blaze, Emmer gave credit to Bonilla for being honest about his opposition to the hire. After all, Bonilla’s commentary adds to Emmer‘s claim that professors railed against him due to his conservatism and that he was “fired” (or simply not hired) as a result.
Bonilla has said that he has no idea whether the professors‘ concerns played a role in the administration’s decision not to hire the former politician.
There’s also a curious article that was published in the Nov. 22 edition of The Oracle, Hamline‘s student newspaper. The piece, entitled “Emmer Gets Hired,” confirms that the former lawmaker was slated to teach at the university. Here’s a copy of the article, below:
On Dec. 5, the paper retracted this piece, writing, “In the Nov. 22 issue of The Oracle, it was incorrectly reported that Tom Emmer had been hired as a scholar-in-residence for the School of Business. Though there were conversations about the possibility of the former gubernatorial candidate joining the staff, it was never official.” Here’s more:
“We were in conversations with Tom Emmer exploring an opportunity within the School of Business,” Strategic Communications Director JacQui Getty said. “I think people jumped to an opinion, a pre-mature opinion, about what might be happening.”
When asked about how people may have come to the conclusion that Emmer was being hired, Getty said that Emmer had attended a formal meeting at the School of Business.
“I think Tom attended a meeting, he was brought to a meeting by one the members from the School of Business, and there was conversations about what was being explored,” Getty said. “There was never a formal offer.”
Getty’s words seem to contradict the e-mails (again, should they be substantiated) that were previously sent by Norman-Major and McCarthy. The mention of a “formal meeting” is intriguing, seeing as Emmer characterized this assembly as a faculty meeting at the school.
In this same article, another business professor named David Schultz (he‘s the source in the Oracle’s first article) says that staff began “drafting” e-mails to be sent to the school’s administration that outlined their concerns over Emmer‘s potential hiring. The Oracle reports that Schultz highlighted faculty members’ key concerns — the first being that Emmer‘s political positions might be “incompatible with the university’s mission” (especially his conservative stance on gay marriage).
Image Credit: InsideHigherEd.com
In addition to this ideological issue, staff had qualms about the method through which Emmer was hired. McCarthy allegedly made the decision on her own, which others claim violates the university’s handbook (new hires must go through a committee and faculty review).
The lack of commentary coming from the college on the matter only adds to speculation surrounding just how much of a factor discrimination played in the matter. Emmer claims this isn‘t the first time he’s experienced roadblocks while trying to gain employment at the university level. “Institutions of higher learning are supposed to be about everybody’s point of view,” he says.
Emmer believes he is owed a retraction and an apology. Additionally, he has asked the school to withdraw the Oracle article and to release a statement admitting that his agreement with the institution was breached due to his conservative values. ”What they’re going to find is the public disagrees with them vehemently, and the students do, too,” he said.
Getty has reportedly said that the school has no intention to do either.
(H/T: Young America’s Foundation)
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Comments (92)
discus02
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:32pmColleges in Mn. are mostly liberal no wonder we have the dead beats crying about Wall Street. The entitlement generation on steriods!
Report Post »just the facts
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:47pmAnd this is exactly whats wrong in todays USA. The left has successfully taken over the education process and is producing the loss in todays student. There are some conservative schools still around but few and far apart. All one needs to do is to look at the 25 – 28 year old crowd and wa-la. One needs not go far to see the problems.
With what they are being taught and HOW they are being taught, we will have a difficult time regaining what we have lost. Thank you progressive liberal schools. You shame the U.S.
But most of all, I feel sorry for those under 30 people and the younger ones. They will not have the liberties we had and they will certianly not know how to overcome todays problems.
Report Post »jimvet
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:52pmI had my attorney cancel a testimonial disposition to my old college.. The final straw was when they had the Communist Francis Piven as a speaker.
Report Post »jimvet
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:44pmShould have been testomentary- not testimonial– Sorry for the Malapropism..
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:48pm“written contract was later assembled (but not signed).”
Report Post »Well then it sounds like he was never legally denied a job he had accepted then.
The Third Archon
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:47pm“There is an expectation that a teacher will think people can disagree and still be patriots.”
Report Post »Well, yeah, I guess that’s true…
lobster
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:53pmWay back in ‘56 I was in AFROTC. The Prof/Capt. told us there were 10,000 graduates of the Lenin school of espionage living in America at that time. Now they are all firmly ensconced in positions of power in the “higher” learning institutions and government, including the White House.
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:27pmWell it’s very good that they should all be dying off soon then.
Report Post »toto
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:38pmLet me try again Blaze, you are censoring things that do not deserve it. We should give our dollars to schools that discriminate against conservatives. What’s wrong with that?
Report Post »DarkerMarker
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 12:43pmwhy not, we give our tax dollars to churches who do the same thing AND encourage it in all their members. how is this any different?
Report Post »Glenn in Virginia
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:38pmAlas, friends, this is old news.
DECADES old news.
My alma mater, which had, it seems like, a leftist radical a week on campus to speak, refused our petitions to bring William F. Buckley back in the late ’60s, ostensibly because he “cost so much.”
What a transparent lie THAT was.
Report Post »toto
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:33pmAll of you college/ university graduates out there, I say not another dime either in tuition, bequests, or contributions as alumni, until said school can prove: 1. They do not discriminate against conservatives for ANY position. 2. The ratio of faculty is roughly 50:50 liberal to conservative.
Report Post »We conservatives, the job holders, the contributors to society, are supporting them while they teach our children to disavow conservative values. I say NO MORE!
jimvet
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:51pmI had my attorney redo my will to cancel a large Testimonial contribution to my old college. The final straw was when they had Francis Piven as a speaker..
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:52pm2. The ratio of faculty is roughly 50:50 liberal to conservative.
I’m sorry, but there aren’t enough conservative educators to even do that feasibly in the entire nation. Either the liberals will outnumber the conservatives by some amount (perhaps more balanced than now), or you‘ll run out of professors to fill classes before you’ve gotten to every university.
There is not a conservative professor for every liberal professor (and a lot of the professors you identify as “liberal” are probably a little more Leftist than “liberal” gives them credit), and that’s not for no reason at all.
Report Post »Time Rebel
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:32pmI work in higher education. It is a FACT that most public universities and colleges are liberal bastions. Most of the few conservatives at the institution where I work (as support staff) keep their political opinions on the down-low so as not to make waves. Unfortunately, I am not one of the ones who can keep it on the down-low. I make no secret of the fact that I am a tea partier. I know I’m treading on thin ice, because two of my conservative friends have already been let go for whatever reasons the institution can drum up. But I am a good worker with a passion for education. I just cannot stand the falsehoods that the Political Sciences professors jam down the student’s throats (not to mention that global warming is presented as a FACT in the Sciences department)!
Report Post »toto
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:35pmYou are a hero, keep it up against the Stalinists.
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:49pmMy son is studying to become an electrical engineer and taking on a second major in HVAC. He says that in his technical classes he could never tell the political leanings of those instructors. They are too busy teaching a real class to get off the lesson plans. His mandatory peripheral classes are a different story. He has a lot of complaints regarding those instructors and professors because they spend more time trying to indoctrinate rather than teach their respective courses. It’s funny, but I expect him to come home with some Global Warming stories as he gets deeper into the mechanical sciences of HVAC.
Report Post »Sir, I salute you what you put up with as well as properly teach.
Time Rebel
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:50pmOh I forgot. Throw in the History professors in that mix. History is also presented in a biased way. It is pathetic. Unfortunately, with the economy so bad, people of all ages are compelled to attend institutions of higher education (most of them public) thru grants and loans. I have mixed feelings about continuing my employment at a place that goes against almost everything I believe. I’m praying for wisdom daily. Does God want me there? Can I continue to make a small difference?
Report Post »Misha
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:08pmTime Rebel: Hang in there – we need more people like you in our schools. My kids attend private Catholic schools, yet their little heads are still being filled with the leftist propaganda. McGraw Hill textbooks are indoctrination of the Leftist ideas – global warming, environmentalism, immigration (“newcomers”), social justice and the like. Homeschoolers have the right idea – if I didn’t need to work, I would pull my kids out of school in a heartbeat.
Report Post »UMN2419
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:14pmOkay, I’m not here to get in a political debate about anything, I just want to say something about global warming. What is happening is that CO2 levels are rising. NO ONE REFUTES THIS. CO2 is a molecule capable of infrared absorption and excitation to higher vibrational energy states (a.k.a. it absorbs heat energy). With more CO2 in the atmosphere, more heat energy from the sun is absorbed and kept on Earth. What effect this will have on our planet is not known, though it would seem logical that an increase in heat energy will result in an increase in average temperature, resulting in melting of ice and the changing of ecosystems. I’m not saying anything catastrophic will happen, I am simply saying things will change and we cannot know if it will be a small effect, or if it will be a devastating effect and I would rather not take the risk.
Report Post »ScienceIsNotEvil
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:22pmThen it should not be hard for Tom Emmer to provide the signed employment contracts which will prove that he was hired.
Report Post »drago
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:33pmSTHU encinom……
Report Post »Ken2
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:00pmenicom, a verbal contract is binding. If the school expressed an intent to hire the individual and led them to believe there was an agreement, they are in breech. If they withdrew the verbal contract for political reasons, it will make for a very interesting punitive damage claim.
Report Post »That being said, you may be extremely misguided, but I don‘t think you’re so stupid as to believe Emmer’s not telling the truth.
conservocop
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:07pm‘ You cannot be a patriot and be a democrat ’ !! That is the absolute truth !!
Report Post »toto
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:27pmThey proved it didn’t they? What they did is right out of the Soviet Union.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:04pmObviously, the Radical/Liberal/Leftists… are at War against their Opposition; They just are too cowardly to inform us of their Declaration!
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:56pmSo what else is NEW
Report Post »Lesterp
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:02pmI am shocked, shocked I tell you.
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:54pmI can see it now. Obamas Health care law takes effect…… A guy has a heart attack and is in dire need of a heart transplant. Oh I’m sorry Mr. Jones, I see here that you are a conservative…. SO very sorry, we’re fresh of out new hearts
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:45pmAFter reading this story I did a quick Google search for Kristen Norman-Major, an associate professor.
Here is the book she or he just published:
http://www.mesharpe.com/mall/resultsa.asp?Title=Cultural+Competency+for+Public+Administrators
Description: With a focus on a broad spectrum of topics–race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels–this book equips readers to better understand the complex, real-world challenges public administrators confront in serving an increasingly diverse society.
The book’s main themes include: What is cultural competency and why is it important? Building culturally competent public agencies. Culturally competent public policy. Building culturally competent public servants. How do agencies assess their cultural competency and what is enough?
SOme sections of the book:
6. Developing Gender Competent Public Administrators DeLysa Burnier
7. Cultural Competency in Hispanic Communities Abraham David Benavides
8. Cultural Diplomacy: Collaboration between Tribal and State Governments Diane-Michele Prindeville and Carrie D. La Tour
9. Cultural Competency around Sexual and Gender Orientation and Identity
Guess they forgot to add CONSERVATIVES to their list.
Are out schools overrun with indoctrinators?
Report Post »Of course they are!
CaptainSpaulding
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:44pmWhen we said “free speech”, we didn’t mean for you.
Now go pay your taxes – we need raises.
Report Post »Deckle
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:37pmIt is time for Americans to pull their kids out of Universities! We need to be creative and come up with better ideas for education and creating new small businesses that our youth can feel proud to help create!
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:55pmOr you could just do like some other people in the media are doing – wind people up, but tell them to be complacent because Man’s freedom is at stake, and then run off to another state to surround yourself with people who you think will protect you, so you yourself don’t have to sin.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:58pmBecause you are convinced that it’s “Perfection” that gets you in Heaven, I mean even though it was the thought of perfection that caused Adam to fall, and yet somehow it will still get you in Heaven.
Report Post »100 Million Patriots Standing
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:11pmThere are so many educational institutions from K to college that are well versed in the ways of indoctrination with the sole purpose of training and educating kids with democratic/socialist/liberal views-beliefs. And so many of these places are doing so in part or in whole with tax dollars. We are paying for our own demise.
It’s easy to say, we should….
but exactly how should we…are who will initiate, monitor, and enforce…
most likely; the well established liberal schools and colleges will be well defended as that is the primary way for the collective to initiate new recruits…
why are liberals so much more agressive than conservatives….why are we so over-run, in so many areas? only when we cease to be passive and fight back do we have any chance at all.
Report Post »ScienceIsNotEvil
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:24pmI am not sure the conservative anti-science young earth creationist view is a valid way to teach science.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:34pmbut you’re sure that racist atheist fairy tale known as evolution is huh?
Report Post »BIONICBLUEBERRY
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 6:17pmExactly, We need to start over and rebuild the country..People are starting to see the Evil’s of the far Left.They want and will destroy anything that is Good if given the chance…
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:36pmNow that’s a bit extreme and radical, don’t you think???? Not all Democrats are socialist, communist, left-wing radical thinkers. Our founders designed a system of checks and balance, with moderates in the center to keep us from tipping too far right or too far left. Genius!
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:35pmconservative teachers are being pushed out of the entire public educational system,no wonder its failing.
Report Post »DarkerMarker
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 12:47pmthe education system is failing because we are taking away funding and unable to retain good teachers
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:32pmThis case is clearly beyond just being “biased” it is blatant, open and active bias to the degree of uttermost contempt and open hatered for the man by the University leadership. This is what we have allowed our colleges for the most part to become, and when will we end this madness once and for all while we have a Republic left.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:39pmWhen people stop sending their sons and daughters off to these cr*ppy schools that is when this will stop. They aren’t preparing them for life or a job .. they are indoctrination centers. People you can find good outcome based colleges and your children will be the better for it. Or the way things are now a “trade” school .. people who can actually DO something.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:20pm“You can’t be a patriotic American and be a democrat.” That’s exactly what I have thought for ages and, to me, it’s the truth. Democrats want another form of government, therefore, they are un-American. IMO, this makes them an enemy of the true spirit of the constitution and the traditional American way of life. The evolution of the constitution is NOT to attempt to morph our country in to communism and socialism but that is exactly what democrats are striving to do. Democrats, Muslims and the Chinese…they will eat us all alive if we let them. They are a very hungry lot. How much do we want to survive I wonder??
Report Post »bigfatslob
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:11pmHow about we elect a President that stops ALL FUNDING to any university unless the prooves that they don’t discriminate against conservatives. Yes, I said proove the negative as in the way agencies of govt. must proove they don’t discriminate against african americans, yes an impossibly high standard, introduced by the LEFT itself.
Report Post »TheePolitinator
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:11pmI scholl with “social Justice” as a highlight should be a red flag.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:02pmwe’ve said it 3 years, democrats stopped being Americans when they voted for anti-American communism.
Report Post »sgtstubbs
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:59pmThis really sounds like a violation of Civil Rights…..Bad school bad school….
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:56pmThe leftist are the epitome of hypocrisy. The scream for equality and justice and then pull sneaky and slimy tricks like this.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:27pmAMEN to that! It would be tempting to ask all students, employees, and professors their political affiliation (you know … in the section where everyone has to answer fill-in-the bubble questions such as religion, ethnicity, sex, etc.) On the other hand, they need to do away with all statistical nonsense, because categorizing people is discriminatory.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:33pmThis is exactly why I sent my son to a private outcome based college. Not some LIberal Arts cr*p that they always push .. but where they taught actual job skills ..btw he is doing well without liberal indoctrination and is in the working world!
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