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Loading ...Anti-gay college student sues school
02.17.2009 8:31am EST
(Los Angeles, California) A Los Angeles college student who claims he was cut off and called a “fascist bastard” for a speech opposing same-sex marriage has filed a federal lawsuit against the professor and the Los Angeles Community College District.
The suit alleges that Jonathan Lopez was midway into his speech in a public speaking class and in the midst of quoting Bible verses when Prof. John Mattson cut him off.Lopez is represented by the Christian conservative Alliance Defense Fund. The suit says that when Lopez began quoting from the Bible, Matteson halted the speech calling the student a “fascist bastard” and told others in the class they could leave if they were offended by Lopez’s traditional marriage stand.
The lawsuit also alleges that Matteson refused to give Lopez a grade for the speech, writing instead on his evaluation, “Ask God what your grade is.”
The ADF also claims that a week later, after Matteson saw Lopez talking to the college’s dean of academic affairs, the professor told Lopez that he would make sure he would be expelled from school.
The lawsuit additionally claims that after the November election, Matteson had told the class, “If you voted yes on Proposition 8, you are a fascist bastard.”
The ADF claims Lopez’ First Amendment rights were violated.
“Professor Matteson clearly violated Mr. Lopez’s free speech rights by engaging in viewpoint discrimination and retaliation because he disagreed with the student’s religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel David French in a statement.
“When students are given open-ended assignments in a public speaking class, the First Amendment protects their ability to express their views. Moreover, the district has a speech code that has created a culture of censorship on campus. America’s public universities and colleges are supposed to be a ‘marketplace of ideas,’ not a hotbed of intolerance.”
Neither the college nor Prof. Matteson were immediately available for comment.
Good point Chris. If this student had been railing against Blacks, Jews, or Hispanics, any reasonable teacher would have stopped the hate speech in it’s tracks, even if said hate speech was utilizing Biblical verses.
Don’t get too worked up over it. He “Alleges” the teacher said those things. To me, they seem too far fetched to have actually happened.
I wonder how the “intolerance” argument would be supported if it were against blacks, hispanics or Jews?
I think that the student should and will win his case. No matter how one feels about any issue, one’s personal and professional lives should not inter-connect.
The purpose of the assignment was to present a topic that the student cared about, whatever that maybe, so the professor should have focused on the mechanics of the speech not the topic.
Professors have leverage over their students b/c they control the students’ grades, but at no time should that leverage be used to push a personal agenda.
i celebrate prof. matteson’s passion…he has my respect. we need comprehensive hate crime legilation that addresses use of propaganda vs 1st amendment. make it clear that hate is not a protectd right…we no this, God knows this and the ignorant must be protected from themselves. curious -the relationship between lopez and the christian adf…i smell a rat
He’s not against gays. He’s against homofascistic behavior practiced by the LGBT community. He recognizes neurotic behavior when he encounters it. He’s apparently not one to be taken in by the histrionic and passive-aggressive behaviors of the LGBT community even after 50 years of propaganda perpetuated by the liberal bodies of the APA(s) and the ABA. It’s a good thing.
Although I have to admit that I hate the student’s speech, the professor was indeed quite stupid to retaliate with such nasty words unbecoming of someone respectable.
While I am a supporter of gay marriage I too am also a believer. If half of what is printed here is true I hope the kid wins, I will gladly support his efforts, this professor is a jerk and he is the one deserving of being expelled. How soon we forget that intolerance for one is justification for intolerance for all. bnr
I can see where the student is coming from, but at the same time I can’t help smiling about what the professor said. Even if the professor was harsh, I still agree with him. ^_^
Agreed Michael;
Freedom riders aren’t even allowed on the grounds of the Christian universities, let alone make a speech about homosexuality.
The prof should have let the student speak (if in fact he did not – these are only allegations at this point). However, there is discretion on the prof’s part as to whether the arguments within the speech could have religious foundation, depending upon the assignment and the nature of the class.
Who knows what really happened? The ADA can be somewhat melodramatic at times.
As a student, I would’ve walked out during his speech. For a faculty member to refer to a student as a ‘fascist bastard’ and refuse a grade because he disagreed with the views expressed, however, is completely unprofessional. If this suit looses, if the message is that teachers can freely censor & humiliate their students, then every gay student in the country is at risk of enduring such behavior.
Can’t stand the kid’s views, but I hope he wins the suit.
My question is whether “free speech” rights pertain to a class assignment? What if the student had been given an assignment to give a speech on the Navy’s use of sonar in whale-populated areas, but then used the occasion to go on a rant about the evils of abortion. He would have failed the assignment, of course. The professor maybe shouldn’t have reacted so vigorously, but where are his free speech rights then?
Funny how when it comes to “free” speech..hell, free anything for the gays…that the Christian Right screams the loudest if the gays try to exert their rights. I agree that even distasteful speech should be protected, though I may not like it, however, there are rules when it comes to speech that we all must follow – we don’t allow someone to yell fire in a crowded theater…I don’t trust the “fascist bastards” (aka – so call Christians) in what they tell the media their suite is about – will be interesting to see how this plays out….so for now, I’ll wipe a tear away for the poor conservative, hateful, Christian, that couldn’t persecute a minority group who just had their rights stripped from them. I am sure he was just following the example of Christ…after all, Christ often kicked minority groups in the face while they were down…didn’t he?
while I support same-sex marriage, I believe the Alliance Defense Fund may have opened a door they will wish they didn’t. By sueing on first admentment rights to freedom of speech, they are opening the door for pro same-sex marriage proponents to do the same! Why should our commercials be denied broadcast. Seems only fair, but fair is not how they play, only their viewpoint is valid.
As nasty as his point of view was, the professor could’ve just let the guy finish his speech in the time allotted. But now, that kid has ammo against him.