Res Publica 2005

Now, not only are you supposed to be intimidated and told to see the counselor because your professor disagrees with you, if he's angered and you complain, there is this:

Professor Files Grievance Against Pro-American Kuwaiti Arab Muslim Student for Revealing Classroom Intimidation

Free Speech Issue Adds To Ongoing College Controversy. In an ongoing controversy at Foothill College, Political-Science Professor Joseph Woolcock filed a grievance against student Ahmad Al-Qloushi for mentioning Woolcock's name in the media. Don Dorsey, Dean of Student Affairs, summarized the grievance as, “Professor Woolcock feels harrased by your (Al-Qloushi) having mentioned his name to the media.”

Los Altos Hills, CA (PRWEB) December 10, 2004 -- On Tuesday, December 7th, in an ongoing controversy at Foothill College, Political-Science Professor Joseph Woolcock filed a grievance against student Ahmad Al-Qloushi for mentioning Woolcock's name in the media. Don Dorsey, Dean of Student Affairs, summarized the grievance as, “Professor Woolcock feels harrased by your (Al-Qloushi) having mentioned his name to the media.”

On Wednesday December 1st, Foothill College Political-Science Professor Joseph Woolcock tried to intimidate student Ahmad Al-Qloushi into seeing a therapist because of a Pro-American essay he wrote in Woolcock's class. The thesis of Al-Qloushi's essay is that the US constitution was a very progressive document, which has contributed to freedom beyond America's borders. Al-Qloushi and the Foothill College Republicans defended that intellectual diversity must be respected on campus, and are lobbying to have the "Academic Bill of Rights" adopted as official policy by the college’s elected Board of Trustees. Professor Woolcock's name was mentioned on numerous websites including www.townhall.com/clog and www.davidlimbaugh.com.

“This (Woolcock’s) grievance will not detour us from our goal,” said Cori Jenab, Vice-President of Foothill College Republicans. “This grievance ignited a First Amendment rights outrage from the kindling of existing controversy at Foothill College.”

"Intellectual diversity must be respected at Foothill College," said Ahmad Al-Qloushi. "This grievance will not detour us from our goal of having Foothill's Board of Trustees pass the ‘Academic Bill of Rights’ as official school policy."

Woolcock filed the grievance through an institutional process normally used by students who experience inappropriate behavior on behalf of Foothill teachers such as an "act or threat of intimidation or general harassment." To learn more about this grievance process, please visit http://www.foothill.edu/services/studentright.html#stucomplaint Dorsey was not able to release the case number or text of the grievance at this time.

Ahmad Al-Qloushi and Cori Jenab are available for immediate interview.

For more information about this controversy, please visit http://www.collegegop.org. To learn more about the Academic Bill of Rights, please visit http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org

Kiss academic freedom goodbye, hello Stalinist Higher Education!

Chronological Overview of Foothill Outrage
By Ahmad Al-Qloushi, 12/11/04

November 24th: An Essay is Assigned in Ahmad Al-Qloushi political science class, the topic is: "Dye and Zeigler contend that the constitution of the United States was not "ordained and established" by "the people" as we have so often been led to believe. They contend instead that it was written by a small educated and wealthy elite in America who representative of powerful economic and political interests. Analyze the US constitution (original document), and show how its formulation excluded majority of the people living in America at that time, and how it was dominated by America's elite interest."

*This essay topic asked students to express a certain point of view

Ahmad Al-Qloushi submits an essay of which the thesis is, "The US constitution was a very progressive document, which has contributed to freedom beyond America's borders."

November 29th: Professor Woolcock returns the paper without a grade and he asks Ahmad Al-Qloushi to see him the next day.

December 1st: Ahmad Al-Qloushi Sees Professor Woolcok, who tries to intimidate Al-Qloushi into seeing the school therapist. He says statements like, "America is not God's gift to the world" and "Your views are irrational" and "You need regular psychotherapy" He even threatens to call the Dean of International students (this Dean has the power to take away student's visas)

Dec 2nd: Ahmad Al-Qloushi and the Foothill College Republicans decide to publicize the outrage. The message being, "This is not an isolated case...The only way to guarantee that intellectual diversity is respected is to have Foothill's elected Board of Trustees adopt the "Academic Bill of Rights."

Dec 4th: www.davidlimbaugh.com and www.townhall.com/clog pickup this story

Dec 5th: Ahmad Al-Qloushi is a guest on a talk radio show in Kansas City. Numerous e-mails are sent to Board of Trustees members expressing shock and urging them to pass the Academic Bill of Rights as official school policy.

Dec 6th: Ahmad Al-Qloushi is a guest on the Brian Sussman Show on 560 KSFO in Northern California. After his appreance, Barbara Simpson calls Ahmad and invites him on her show on Saturday Dec. 11th.

Dec. 7th, Professor Woolcok files a grievance against Ahmad Al-Qloushi for harassment. Don Dorsey, Dean of Student Affairs, summarized the grievance as, "Professor Woolcock feels harassed by your (Al-Qloushi) having mentioned his name to the media." Dorsey said that he could not show Ahmad the grievance but he would "send it by [physical] mail"

* We think it's an effort to block our supply of material to give the press and to kill the story

Dec. 8th: A local GOP group donates the money for us to send press release #2 on a newswire service.

Dec 10th: Press Release #2 makes Yahoo and Google News and is (so far) read by 15k people and 70 journalists have read it (so far).

Dec 11th: Ahmad Al-Qloushi to appear on Barbara Simpson Show at 4PM

Professor Woolcock has committed many offenses, some of these are:

1) Singled out political or religious beliefs for ridicule -according to the professor, Arabs should not have pro-American views
2) Forced students to express a certain point of view in assignments
3) Threatened to participate in psychotherapy
4) Attempted to limit Ahmad Al-Qloushi's of the press and freedom of speech by filing a grievance against Al-Qloushi for mentioning Woolcock's name.