A wave of ideological wildfires is breaking out across universities in the United States. Interestingly, the crisis revolves around the inclusion, or removal, of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies from this institution.
In a recent development, a professor of history is in the news as he’s having it out with the administration of Kern Community College District. Professor Matthew Garrett was suspended from his academic seat without pay at Bakersfield College in April. He would later learn that his suspension was for a personal opinion he expressed about the imposition of DEI policies on campus.
Bakersfield College is imposing a DEI mandate on faculty at the institution. Unfortunately, Garrett did not entirely agree with the imposition. Since his dismissal from work, Professor Garrett has approached a federal magistrate court for redress.
In response to Garrett’s public outcry of wrongdoing, administrators at KCCD have generated a 19-page report. This is an effort to justify the suspension of Professor Garret.
According to the college president, Zav Dadabhoy, investigations into Garrett’s conduct necessitated his dismissal. The college administration tagged the dismissed professor as unprofessional and incompetent in the report. So, KCCD upholds Garrett’s suspension without pay.
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Unfortunately, Professor Garrett could not help but suspect foul play. According to him, he was brought under the hammer due to his open opposition to the DEI policies in KCCD. However, Garrett’s opposition was strictly ideological, as there was no record of him staging a boycott or actively working against the policy.
Professor Garrett did not stop his pushback with the lawsuit. Last week, he was in attendance at the meeting of the KCCD Board of Trustees. Garrett was permitted to speak, and his only request was for reinstatement. Garrett pointed out the growing breach between faculty and the college administration to convince his listeners.
Professor Matthew Garrett made a bold statement before the Board of Trustees. Something along the lines of his suspension between a loss on all fronts for the college administration. He acknowledged being in great financial distress since his suspension. However, Garrett claims he is willing to wait it out because, in the end, KCCD will lose in court.
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Interestingly, Garrett is not alone in the tussle. He is not the only professor uncomfortable with the new policies that necessitate faculty to teach DEI and antiracist viewpoints in class. Another Bakersfield College professor, Daymon Johnson, filed a lawsuit in June. Johnson states that he was a victim of harassment at the college, all for expressing his views about the DEI policies. Professor Johnson sought legal vindication to avoid going down the same well as Garrett.
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Luckily, Judge Christopher Baker of the Federal Magistrate Court ruled in favor of the two professors. Last month, the federal judge passed a ruling stating that Bakersfield College may be trampling faculty rights under its feet. Victimizing faculty based on the expression of their opinion is a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Bakersfield College may have to pay Professor Garrett millions of dollars in damages for the distress he experienced during the period of his suspension. However, KCCD is not showing signs of backing down either.
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