Letters from the National Campus Director

UGA Professor Investigated for Classroom Diatribe · 21 September 2004

Bradley challenged the professor's partisan remarks and his profanity, but his objections were summarily dismissed by the professor. Concerned about the professor's unprofessional political diatribes and worried about the possible ramifications for his grades, Bradley dropped the course, but reported the experience to Students for Academic Freedom and developed it into an article for Frontpage Magazine.

The matter did not rest there. Having been confronted with Bradley's detailed critique of his teaching and its detrimental effect on a Republican student, Morrow responded in a public article on the History News Network website. Instead of apologizing, he defended his remarks, inappropriate as they were, and their profanity. Morrow went so far as to personally insult Bradley, charging that he clearly must have lacked the courage of his convictions, or he would have willingly submitted himself to daily verbal abuse and harassment for his beliefs.

Morrow wrote: "In regard to the use of the epithet 'chicken-s--t,' I stand by it as well… 'Chicken-s--t' ….refers to people who do not have the courage of their convictions. I applied the term specifically to President Bush and Vice President Cheney, who avoided service in Vietnam, a war they both allegedly supported. I stated, furthermore, that it was ironic that Bush, who was able to avoid Vietnam service through the Guard, now had no difficulty sending the Guard to extended duty in Iraq, with the result that patriotic grandfathers-Bush's contemporaries who served their country in Vietnam-have died there. Bush talks tough when the lives of others are on the line, but he did not act tough when his own life was at stake. The president should not say that he would have served if called, when he well knows that he was not going to be called to duty."

Following this outrageous and unapologetic response, Students for Academic Freedom sprang into action. In a letter to University of Georgia President Michael Adams, David Horowitz urged President Adams to have Prof. Morrow deliver an apology to Bradley and the other students in his class. He further requested that UGA issue a statement that it is university policy that partisan political agendas have no place in an academic classroom and that professors should show respect for intellectual, political and religious diversity and should not introduce into their teaching controversial matters which have no relation to their subjects.

"Professors and students are not equals in a classroom setting," Horowitz wrote. "Remarks such as Professor Morrow freely admits he made which have no relation to his subject are not-so-subtle means of intimidating students who identify with the President and have conservative views. They are a breach of the obligations professors have to their students-including their Republican students-to create an environment conducive to learning." The full letter can be read here .

We are pleased to report that the attention brought to this issue by Students for Academic Freedom and Frontpage Magazine appears to have convinced the University of Georgia to take Bradley's complaint seriously. We also owe thanks to the office of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue which contacted the University to express outrage at Morrow's behavior. An attorney from the Office of Legal Affairs has been assigned by the Provost to investigate the situation and is planning to speak with other students from the class to confirm Bradley's allegations. Professor Morrow will be informed that if he attempts to take any retaliatory action against Bradley for going public with this story, then disciplinary charges will be brought against him. We will continue to follow this story very closely and hope that Bradley will soon receive a well-deserved apology from Prof. Morrow for his appalling classroom conduct.

While this tale may ultimately have a successful resolution, many other students across the country are not so fortunate. Perhaps the course they are taking is required for their major and they don't have the option of dropping the class as Bradley did. Perhaps they are fearful that administrators won't take their objections to classroom indoctrination seriously. The example set by Bradley Alexander proves that students do have the power to curtail abusive classroom behavior and to make their campus administrations listen.

If your academic freedoms have been violated in the classroom, please contact me at Sara@studentsforacademicfreedom.org or at 202-969-2467. We can help you develop a plan of action to fight back and reclaim intellectual diversity on campus.

Yours in Freedom,

Sara Dogan
National Campus Director
Students for Academic Freedom

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