TEEN COLUMN -- Lea Alfi

Lea Alfi

During a class discussion at Orange Coast College on Sept. 18, four

students complained of being insulted by government professor Kenneth

Hearlson, who was subsequently placed on paid leave. One student was

allegedly accused of being a terrorist during the discussion, which

occurred exactly one week after the World Trade Center Twin Tower

tragedies.

The Foundation for Individual Liberties in Education, a national

organization that defends the right of free speech for professors in the

classroom, immediately demanded that the college restore Hearlson to his

position. The foundation’s executive director, Thor Halvorssen, referred

to the college’s conduct as a strike at freedom of speech.

While private investigators attempt to determine the validity of the

students’ complaints, it is important to remember that the issue at hand

is not merely the backlash of widespread patriotism (manifested by some

through ignorance and violence) on citizens of Middle Eastern descent;

but rather, the issue is how Americans modify and rectify the role of our

1st Amendment rights at this time.

Freedom of speech has existed until actions were committed under the

pretense of free speech. This gave rise to hate-crime and

antidiscrimination legislation. As John Locke said, “Your freedom to move

your hand ends where my nose begins.”

The students who complained are of Middle Eastern descent, though let

us disregard their religious orientation for the time being, as Hindus,

Muslims, Jews or Christians from that region often look ambiguously

alike.

The students, who are Muslim, felt insulted. Hearlson’s comments are

in dispute, and quite plausibly he may have only said the terrorists were

Muslims, in which case the Muslim students should not take offense

because the terrorists were Muslim and their Islam is hopefully radically

different than that of the students.

If the teacher’s comments were indeed extraneous toward students for

whom class is mandatory (not like a presentation voluntarily attended for

pleasure), the teacher should learn from this and refrain from delivering

derogatory comments in the future. (Isn’t that one of the functions of a

revered instructor?)

Some Americans have not respected the 1st Amendment in the wake of

terror, but instead generalized in regards to the origin of all

terrorism, allowing angry freedom of speech to morph into injury against

noses of people who are already fearful because of a regional resemblance

to terrorists.

Is OCC engaging in conduct that “strikes against freedom of speech?”

No, they are striking out against ignorant comments that may unduly

inflame part of an Islamic student body. They are showing us that though

we have freedom, respect should be inherent in our comments. They are

showing us that a teacher should be smart enough not to employ and

express stereotypes that may be hurtful.

Hearlson should not be punished any further for his alleged comments

because they were only comments, opinions and he has been reprimanded

whether rightly so or not.

Is the classroom an appropriate venue for expressing personal beliefs?

The Supreme Court has disallowed prayer in the classroom, and the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District has disallowed intimidating speech

in the classroom (under revision of the 4210 policy to purview the act of

bullying).

Hearlson was not religious, nor was he indubitably intimidating. But

Hearlson did suffer a lapse in judgment because one is left to wonder how

comments concerning the physical appearance of a student can possibly be

relevant in the instruction of an Introduction to Government class.

* LEA ALFI is a senior at Costa Mesa High School, where she is

editor-in-chief of the Hitching Post. Her columns will appear on an

occasional basis in the Community Forum section.