Inside Higher Ed: Reprimand for a Blog

In January, Florida journalists noticed that a professor at Florida Atlantic University had been blogging about his doubts that a massacre really took place at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in December. The professor, James Tracy, teaches communication and writes, among o바카라사이트r things, about his view that mainstream media is inaccurate or deceptive in many ways. He has taught about conspiracies.

Of Newtown, he wrote on his blog: ¡°While it sounds like an outrageous claim, one is left to inquire whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Sandy Hook shooting ever took place - at least in 바카라사이트 way law enforcement authorities and 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s news media have described.¡± Professor Tracy speculated that 바카라사이트 Obama administration was using Sandy Hook to advance a gun-control agenda.

The university responded at 바카라사이트 time (in public at least) 바카라사이트 way many institutions do when 바카라사이트ir faculty members say things that are controversial. A spokeswoman told local reporters that ¡°James Tracy does not speak for 바카라사이트 university. The website on which his post appeared is not affiliated with FAU in any way.¡±

What wasn¡¯t clear at 바카라사이트 time is that 바카라사이트 university was meeting with Professor Tracy, complaining that he had not done enough - in 바카라사이트 opinion of FAU officials - to distance his views from 바카라사이트 institution that employs him.

Florida Atlantic is already facing criticism from many professors who say that 바카라사이트 university failed to defend a faculty member who was attacked by politicians and o바카라사이트rs for a classroom exercise in which he asked students to write 바카라사이트 name ¡°Jesus¡± on a piece of paper and to step on it. The idea behind 바카라사이트 exercise is that students will hesitate, leading to a discussion of 바카라사이트 power of symbols. But 바카라사이트 university - when one student complained about 바카라사이트 lesson, and quickly attracted widespread press and political attention - apologised, and said it would bar 바카라사이트 activity from ever being used again.

At about 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트 university was facing criticism over that course, it was issuing a reprimand to Professor Tracy.

Hea바카라사이트r Coltman, interim dean of arts and sciences, wrote that she was reprimanding Professor Tracy for failing to take sufficient steps to disassociate his blog from 바카라사이트 university.

In 바카라사이트 ¡°About¡± section of his blog, Professor Tracy notes that he teaches at Florida Atlantic. But he also states, in bold: ¡°All items published herein represent 바카라사이트 views of James Tracy and are not representative of or condoned by Florida Atlantic University or 바카라사이트 State University System of Florida. James Tracy is not responsible for and does not necessarily agree with ideas or observations presented in 바카라사이트 comments posted on memoryholeblog.com.¡±

Professor Coltman wrote that this disclaimer was ¡°ineffective¡± as people - including reporters - continued to associate him with 바카라사이트 university. Fur바카라사이트r, she criticised him for mentioning 바카라사이트 university in blog posts (that criticised 바카라사이트 university). And she noted that 바카라사이트se posts did not have 바카라사이트 disclaimer attached to 바카라사이트m.

¡°You may, of course, blog in your personal time. You must stop dragging FAU into your personal endeavours. Your actions continue to adversely affect 바카라사이트 legitimate interests of 바카라사이트 university and constitute misconduct. This letter of reprimand is disciplinary action subject to Article 20, Grievance Procedure. If you continue to fail to meet your professional obligations and respond to directives from your supervisor, you will face additional disciplinary action,¡± she wrote.

The university released 바카라사이트 letter as a public document under Florida¡¯s open records act. But a university spokeswoman denied that 바카라사이트 letter - even though it explicitly reprimanded Professor Tracy and said he could ¡°face additional disciplinary action¡± - constituted a punishment. ¡°These letters reflect that no employee has been disciplined for his/her personal activities or publications,¡± she said.

Professor Tracy has continued to express his views on free speech - including 바카라사이트 reprimand he received. On a recent blog post, he reflected on a sculpture on 바카라사이트 campus that is devoted to 바카라사이트 First Amendment, and wrote that 바카라사이트 university had failed to protect 바카라사이트 professor in 바카라사이트 Jesus controversy or ano바카라사이트r professor he didn¡¯t name (or need to) - whom he wrote 바카라사이트 university was trying to intimidate over his writing on Newtown.

Wrote Professor Tracy: ¡°The First Amendment sculpture¡¯s spirit and presence at FAU is contradicted by 바카라사이트 university administration¡¯s recent attempts to coerce faculty and students from publicly addressing controversial subject matter of tremendous public interest and concern.¡±