Professor says he was forced out over comment

[ckramer]

A college professor who drew sharp criticism for comments deriding Christian fundamentalists over "intelligent design" said he was forced out as chairman of the university's religious studies department.

Paul Mirecki, who remains a professor at the University of Kansas, said he had no choice when he signed the resignation letter, typed on stationary from the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

"The University penalized me and denied me my Constitutionally protected right to speak and express my mind," he said in a written statement Friday for the Lawrence Journal-World. He said his career had been ruined and his speaking engagements canceled.


link

[Catch22Dem]

1. Tell him to move the fuck out of Kansas

He'll be a hero in a more forward-thinking state.

[Scout1071]

2. I'm only going to say this once because I don't want to get

into this tonight, but most people on this board know absolutely nothing about this Professor.

His story about being beat up by fundies is already changing and I don't believe for one second he was beaten up by "fundies." He told the media he called the police from the scene where he was allegedly beaten up, yet the only fact in the case the Sherriff's office would confirm was that he called them from the hospital. Once questioned on this detail by a reporter, he stopped talking to the media. The Sherriff's office has "interviewed" him again, but they will not release any details whatsoever on the case other than the fact that him saying he called them from the scene was not accurate.

I just don't want to see this guy somehow idolized on this board or any other. His true story has yet to be told. Unfortunately, I don't think he's being truthful about where or why he was beaten up.

I was beaten up on this board the other night for trying to get people to look at the lack of facts and I don't really want to get into it again tonight. I just want to caution my fellow DU'ers before they go overboard defending this guy and bashing all of Kansas...including this DU'er and many others.

[Book Lover]

3. While I understand where you're coming from on the assault incident

What say you to this assertion, that he was forced out of the chair?

[Scout1071]

5. I'm going to reserve judgment because we have not heard

why he was forced out. There may be reasons we are just not aware of and I think it would be terrific to hear from The University on this issue before we all rush to judgment. My gut instinct says that something is going on with this guy that we don't know about just yet and I am hoping that DU will hear both sides of the story before jumping to conclusions that KU must somehow be out to get him.

Having said that, I agree and stand with him and all the KU Professors who are fighting to keep ID out of our schools. The University of Kansas is fighting hard to counter those 4 school board nuts who have made us look like fools. They have hosted a massive Evolution Exhibit over the last few months. They have lobbied hard to keep ID out of science classes. And they still intend to introduce a course on ID as a religious myth.

My point is that there are definitely a couple of fundie nuts who have embarrassed us as a state. But, evolution is far and away the majority opinion in this state. So much so that the Republican party in Kansas announced a massive split last week. The moderates in the party split because they too are embarrassed by this evolution debacle and are trying to take back their party from the fundies. My post on that very subject sinks like a rock, but any good old fashioned Kansas bashing gets recommended all night long. Just pisses me off.

[Book Lover]

6. Okay

You're certainly closer to the story than I am. And it's a shame this new Evolution Exhibit has gotten no press - this is the first I've heard of it!

Also good to hear that the Repub Party is having trouble. Almost makes this mess worth it. Flail, flail!

[Scout1071]

7. FYI - Here are a couple of links for both of those stories

Here is an editorial from today's Lawrence Journal World on the split in the Kansas GOP:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/11/real_republicans/

Here is KU's Exploring Evolution Exhibit:
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/10645/

It's a fine school and I'm proud to have attended. I just ask that we reserve judgment on the Professor and KU until the facts come out.

Now that I've said my peace.......Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

[MODemocrat]

21. There was also a big article in the Kansas City Star on Sunday

It gave me the impression that he had written an e-mail and referred to the ones who believe in the Intelligent Design theory as Fundies, and that supposedly angered them, and consequently he got beat up. Something about it does sound a little far-fetched; but really, I haven't kept up with this story enough to make any judgements. :hi: :shrug:

[Voltaire99]

8. A little too much pride in Kansas, perhaps?

My post on that very subject sinks like a rock, but any good old fashioned Kansas bashing gets recommended all night long. Just pisses me off.

Ok, understood.

As Thomas Frank has eloquently demonstrated, unfortunately, you have more than just four nuts in Kansas. You won't get any sympathy here for a state that generates so much bad politics, so much medieval thinking. If there is so much sanity in Kansas, why can't you stop your nuts? Simple: you're outnumbered.

We don't have to reserve too much judgment on this prof; his published emails speak for themselves. He is guilty, clearly, of wanting to counter a tide of supernatural ignorance. That he talked about doing so in insulting language in emails written on the public's dime in a state captivated by this ignorance was, yes, foolish. But I like something about his brashness, too: irrational zealotry will not be stopped by nicety and political correctness.

Having said that, I agree and stand with him and all the KU Professors who are fighting to keep ID out of our schools.

Same here!

[Scout1071]

9. Guess what? We are outnumbered.

Or at least we were outnumbered. And not just in Kansas. This state was merely an example by Frank of what is going on across this country. He examined Kansas because he is a native Kansan.

By your thinking, why haven't we been able to stop *? Same thing. It's the way the world views us as a nation now and it makes me want to scream out that there are tens of millions of us who don't agree with the BushCo policies.

We just keep fighting. And we will win. In Kansas and beyond. But we need your help and support, not your mocking.

[Scout1071]

22. *Update* Response from KU regarding his resignation:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/13/ku_mirecki_left_leadership_post_voluntarily/?ku_news

KU spokeswoman Lynn Bretz, in an e-mail to the Journal-World, said Mirecki met with Romzek on Dec. 6 to discuss the department’s recommendation that he resign from the chairman’s post. After the talk, Mirecki concluded he should submit a resignation, she said.

“At a computer in Strong Hall, away from his departmental office in Smith Hall, Professor Mirecki composed and typed the letter himself, with no one else in the room,” Bretz wrote. “He pushed the print command button, sending the letter to a printer in another room, next to a secretary’s desk. The letter was printed on the letterhead at hand. Professor Mirecki retrieved the printed letter from the secretary, signed it in front of the secretary and left it there. … In addition, Professor Mirecki had told at least one KU administrator on Dec. 5, following the departmental faculty meeting that day, that he felt the need to step down as chair.”

[drm604]

4. You're not alone, that story didn't ring true to me from the start. n/t

[Supersedeas]

10. Prudent advice

[happyslug]

11. I suspect he was kicked out for using UNIVERSITY STATIONARY

Which implies University support. It is one thing to say "I oppose" it is entirely different thing to say (even by implication) "My Employer says". If you want to write on a subject I do not see any school opposing what you write PROVIDED IT IS CLEAR IT IS YOUR OPINION NOT THE SCHOOL'S. The problem is when by implication what an employee says is taken a being form his or her employer. Writing the comment on UNIVERSITY STATIONARY implies UNIVERSITY SUPPORT FOR HIS ACTIONS. As a professor he should know NOT to permit such confusion to occur. If it does occur and the employer determines that it was a deliberate act of the employee, I see the employer terminating the employee AS THE ONLY WAY TO SHOW THAT WHAT THE EMPLOYEE SAID IS NOT THE COMMENT OF THE EMPLOYER.

As said above, there is something more than this than what is being said, maybe Right Wing Fundamentalist reaction, but I suspect something else, someone wanting to be a martyr and trying everything he can to be one.

[usregimechange]

12. Odd skepticism directed at him from you, imo

[Scout1071]

13. Well, we can agree to disagree.

Skepticism is what brought me to DU. Skeptical of WMD. Skeptical that Iraq had jack shit to do with 9/11. Skeptical they were trying to attack us. Skeptical * actually won either election.

I'd say thus far my skepticism has been dead on.

I'm not attacking the guy. I'm just saying I don't want to see this guy idolized until all the facts come out.

[DrunkenMaster]

14. got proof?

Somehow Ididn't think so, or you would have mentioned it in your post.

[Scout1071]

15. Proof of what?

I'd say I have as much proof of him being full of shit as you have of his story.

But here's some proof on his story being inconsistent:

"Key facts about the reported attack remained unclear Tuesday, including exactly where it happened. A report released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the location was “unknown” and listed it as south of 31st Street on either East 1400 Road or East 1500 Road.

Louisiana Street turns into East 1400 Road outside the city limits. Haskell Avenue becomes East 1500 Road.

Also, there was conflicting information about whether Mirecki reported it at the scene or at the hospital. In an interview Monday with the Journal-World, he said he called police from the side of the road, but sheriff’s officials said they were dispatched to the hospital."

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/07/mirecki_mum_details_beating/

And have you seen the pics of him? He says that he was beaten with a pipe, yet all he has by way of injuries is a black eye and a half dollar size bruise on his arm.

[confludemocrat]

16. so, he doesn't deserve defending because he got street info wrong... Huh?

and so despite the clear enough link between what he said, the screwy political climate in that place and his getting fired from his chairmanship--always a political thing when done-- we are supposed to be skeptical of him?

I don't think you have explained much reason for your skepticism especially in light of the situation. So he was a Dept. Chair at a major university, usually thhe most responsible of people if not down right cautious, stodgy and even hidebound, yet he is suspect as what, a wacko? Doesn't compute.

On edit: misdirected this was meant to Scoutwhatever

[Scout1071]

19. Did you read anything I posted above?

Just curious. I never said he got the address wrong. He reported to the media that he called the police to make a report from the scene of the crime, somewhere south of Lawrence in a rural area. The police say that he called from the hospital in Lawrence. Big difference.

[confludemocrat]

23. I read something that was not germane to the overall prob. &asked why

you went to that length essentially, especially given the gravity of what he is saying. It's just peculiar, the whole tone and misdirected energy you seem to have applied to this.

[Scout1071]

24. Misdirected? Why is it misdirected?

I'm just trying to get the correct facts known. And the fact is that his story becomes more unbelievable by the day. So far his version of events now differs from that of:

- The Douglas County Sherrifs office
- The University of Kansas
- Statements by Professors in his own Department
- A secretary in his deparment's office
- and his own statements to the media just days ago

So, what is peculiar about my tone? What are you implying? Feel free to look through every single one of my posts. You'll find no hint of Freeper if that is what you are implying. I'm a dyed in the wool, true blue, lifelong Democrat and a Kansan. Science supporting, pro-privacy, pro-voting accountabilty Kansan who just happens to think this guy is full of hoo-ey.

[confludemocrat]

25. take it down, i don't think you are a freeper

just am perplexed by the needing to assure that this guy is simon-pure in all respects before any point he makes is taken as valid. he's a wacko? he's a known liar? or does he have a point despite his supposed shortcomings? if he does then let's talk about THAT!

[HereSince1628]

17. Mirecki for all his education acted without sophistication.

Having been part of Academia I can tell you that the culture war whirls like colliding vortices. On the one hand you are expected to defend intellectual values, on the other hand intemperate language is a lightening rod for retribution.

IMHO, Mirecki's mouth got him into trouble, not his intellectual position. Academia respects the 19th century art of subtle inuendo, it has no tolerance for what looks like hate speech to a student organization.

In short, he played the game poorly.

[Scout1071]

20. Bingo. n/t

[lovuian]

18. I'm not surprised they are going after the colleges!!!

This country is being turned to the Dark Side!!!

[JVS]

26. Forced out of being chairman is not the same as being fired.