I think the community needs to back off and cut Augusta State University some slack. There are two sides to every suit and we've only heard one of them: the plaintiff's.
As Kathy Schofe, spokesperson for ASU, so ably put it, "We are being slammed."
In a period of just under 60 days, this incident went from professors meeting with a student to discuss her performance to a lawsuit. The school is unable to respond until they receive the lawsuit and the Board of Regents takes the muzzle off them.
Meanwhile, they are being castigated for religious intolerance and violating the First Amendment.
Before we react in a "knee-jerk" manner, let's wait to hear their side.
Empathizing with a client is so essential to this profession that even GEICO has an ad asking, "Do former drill sergeants make poor counselors?"
Hopefully, these professors took notes at these meetings. After all, that is what they would teach their counselor students to do. What do these notes say? A lot hinges on the wording they used. If they didn't use the term "change her beliefs," things would appear differently. If they didn't take notes or if the professors simply got offended by a student not doing what they wanted right away without question, then they are not mirroring what they are teaching and should be called up on this.
I have a feeling they never discussed the possibility of a lawsuit with anyone above them, probably because they didn't think it would ever come to that. I would imagine, in the future, all professors will be required to do this before taking any such action.
Saturday's Chronicle talked about ASU being prepared for more cuts, even as they are facing an unexpected hit in their pocketbook by this lawsuit.
There does not appear to be any real winners in this contest, except the attorneys. They get paid either way. The school has a black eye.
The professors are depicted as lacking good judgment. Jennifer Keeton faces an uncertain future where employment may be a real problem. Who wants to hire a school counselor with a history of being litigious and is probably not able to gain certification by the ACA and the ASCA?
As letters go, you did get one thing right: the lawyers will make out. As usual.
For the rest, not even close; you paint ASU as this helpless giant being tormented by a crusading fanatic, unable to respond. Nonsense; their Facebook posts paint the woman as one step down from a scholastic Carrie Nation- all with plausible deniability. They've laid out their case quite clearly.
It speaks volumes about the 'trained counselors' who were surpised by her suit. "...I have a feeling they never discussed the possibility of a lawsuit with anyone above them..." Really great job of reading people, guys. And you're the professionals, the teachers. Really. . . really? As to the notes they took- what of them? Like they are a totally unbiased account of how these neutral observers were set upon by this wild-eyed fanatic?
It is almost self-evident the tone-deaf staff created this problem. As you correctly noted, "Empathizing with a client is so essential to this profession that even GEICO has an ad asking, "Do former drill sergeants make poor counselors?" Acting on their biases, their 'opiate of the masses' precepts, they expected Ms Keeton to abjure her beliefs and go meekly to her 're-education.' (Perhaps holding a copy of Mao's little red book as a prop to a session of 'self-criticism?') But being the wicked creature she is, when attacked, being threatened with academic expulsion unless gave up her beliefs and accepted ill-disguised political correctness training, she fought back in the only way available.
dstewartsr: Can you provide a link to their facebook pages? Im interested in reading their personal thoughts on the matter.
Trammell: Notes taken by the professors won't amount to much in court unless there is proof that the notes were written during the several meetings with Keeton. Keeton has email evidence.
Anyone who mentions Mao is a kool-aid drinker. And tag, you're it. With cooties.
A very well written letter in defense of ASU. If Ms. Keeton just made up the silly allegations and e-mails from her professors then she'll be punished for having the audacity to file this suit. If, however, a radical leftist professor (common in academia) decided the evil Christian needed to be "sensitized" with a few brainwashing courses and experiences, the school should be held responsible. The lawyers needed to be called in on this case. Who precipitated this situation has yet to be decided.
There have been some real liberal teaching going on there and somewhat held in check by the older students. You would have had to be there to know what goes on in the classroom. It was bad in the 60s and 70s. If it progressed from then, things would really be liberal by now. They say they want you to think, which is a lie; they want you to think and have liberal thoughts as conservative thoughts to them means no thinking. Strong conservative views, especially from women shake a lot of folks up. Truth is very upsetting to many because for all they speak out about, they really are insecure in their beliefs. The louder they get and the more they call names the more insecure they are.
Requiring a loser in a civil case to pay the winner's attorneys' fees would be highly effective in combating frivolous litigation.
Don't complain about this letter writer. He's in sync with the times. The First Amendment is a "living amendment" drafted to fit the changing times. Of course it all depends upon whose ox is being gored doesn't it. George Soros and the America-hating groups he bankrolls (like the Obama mob, are entitled to free speech, but not the normal Americans in the Tea Party groups, pro-lifers, Christians, especially Catholic Christians, etc.
For Obama to succeed with the destruction of America with the help of the major media and the academia-nuts, Christians must be muzzled and marginalized at all costs. Christians and conservatives are so out of touch with the neo-enlightenment that they still stand for such outdated things as objective truth, morality, personal responsibility, a free market economy with full employment and a smaller federal government.
There are dangerous people out here who oppose socialism, Marxism and Communism – who, unlike liberals, when it comes to charitable giving, walk-the-walk by giving their own money to charity instead of just talking-the-talk backed up by government stealing the fruits of one man’s production and giving it to others. The Beatitudes are not about high-handed governments redistributing wealth, but about personal charity.
Christians and conservatives are so out of touch that they even believe in private property rights. Obama, his czars and the lemmings in Congress are voracious microbes gobbling up our unalienable rights from our Creator, our Constitutional rights and our savings.
Like I said, if Obama is to succeed with his planned destruction of America, the liberals/progressives/socialists/Marxists have to stop freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Bill Trammell wrote, "Hopefully, these professors took notes at these meetings."
Well, Bill, you can bet that if any professors took notes that don't square with what the university's lawyers wish, those notes have been shredded and burned.
The University System of Georgia doesn't lose too many lawsuits.
And it is naive to think that the administrators at ASU had no idea that a lawsuit was coming, and what was said to her, and that the professors acted illegally.
She was the one who has stated, repeatedly, that she couldn't counsel a gay person or someone who wanted an abortion. She is the one who repeatedly has brought up her religious beliefs, in and out of the classroom.
It is not against the law for any professor to suggest that as part of diversity training, to attend the Augusta Gay Pride Parade, and it is absurd to think otherwise.
It is also absurd to think that any professor at ASU cares what religion any student is. There are students of many faiths on campus; do you ever stop to wonder why only she has problems, when nobody else does?
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