As much has been made about UNM Professor Richard Berthold, it pales in comparison to the controversy that has rocked the University of South Florida.
Sami Al-Arian, an outspoken tenured engineering professor of Palestinian dissent, was placed on paid leave in September and fired in late December when South Florida administrators determined that his presence on campus following an appearance on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" was a security threat to the school.
University officials argued that during his interview, Al-Arian failed to appropriately convey that the University of South Florida in no way endorsed his remarks. The former professor contends that he was defending his role in an Islamic group, known as WISE, which interviewer Bill O'Reilly said had terrorist connections. Al-Arian said the group was formed to attack Harvard University Professor Samuel Hunnington's thesis on "Clash of Civilizations," which states that Islamic and Western civilizations inherently clash and could never co-exist. Al-Arian added that while the FBI had investigated him and other group members, no charges were ever filed.
O'Reilly interrogated Al-Arian and, as could have been expected on any conservative talk show, gave him little room to respond. University of South Florida officials were deluged with angry phone calls and e-mails after the interview aired Sept. 26. More important, donors promised to withdraw funding if swift action was not taken.
Much to the dismay of many in academia, the university fired the controversial professor. Now the school faces censure from the American Association of University Professors for its actions, a move that could further hurt the institution when it comes to attracting and keeping faculty members.
The censure could be all the more difficult to brush off because it won't be the first time the school has faced such action, the last coming during the 1960s when it fired a professor who spoke out against the Cold War. In contrast, the university was willing to stand behind one controversial psychology faculty member, Glayde Whitney, who supported the idea that blacks are inferior to whites and wrote an introduction for former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke's autobiography.
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But the worst part of all is that the University of South Florida has sent a clear message that academic freedom and the First Amendment are not worth defending. By firing Al-Arian, the school saved some money, but it paid a much heftier price - it's self-respect and reputation.
Iliana Lim¢n
Editor in chief
