Free speech for me, but not for thee
I’ve seen folks on Facebook post this story, apparently approvingly, about a Purdue University Calumet prof asserting his right to ridicule Islam and Mohammad on Facebook. Professor Maurice Eisenstein, an associate professor of political science, says he asked on Facebook, “Where were the moderate Muslims? They must be listening to that idiot Mohammad.” The school launched an investigation of his remarks, and in response, Eisenstein is suing the school. He said the investigation was a violation of his First Amendment rights to free speech.
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which is defending him:
The PUC Muslim Student Association and several students and faculty members had filed harassment complaints against professor Maurice Eisenstein after he criticized moderate Muslims who he believed had not condemned “radical Muslim” terrorism in Nigeria. Two faculty members had also filed retaliation complaints against Eisenstein, who came to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.
“This is not the first time and it won’t be the last time we will see a university punish a student or professor for constitutionally protected speech on Facebook,” said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. “Professors at public universities should not have to go to court to defend their free speech rights.”
The irony here, which I am betting will be lost on folks who see Eisenstein as an anti-Muslim hero and free speech martyr, is that FIRE is also defending The Medium, the Rutgers student newspaper that made a Hitler joke at the expense of a campus pro-Israel activist. In that case, the Zionist Organization of America and other Jewish groups are welcoming the university’s probe and urging that the newspaper and its faculty adviser be censured. “While we all respect the First Amendment as the bulwark of a free society, we do not believe the Medium should be allowed to hide behind a First Amendment claim,” state Jewish federations wrote to the Rutgers administration.
At least FIRE is consistent: They want the campus to be a robust marketplace of ideas according to the Constitution. “Eisenstein’s colleagues ganged up on him to punish him for his protected expression,” says FIRE Vice President of Programs Adam Kissel. “The best remedy for ‘bad’ speech is more speech, not this pattern of wild prosecution.”
I wonder if Eisenstein’s fans at FrontPageMag.com and on Facebook would extend that principle to a Muslim professor who attacked Jews, Judaism or Israel. I’m guessing not.
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JustASC is written by Andrew Silow-Carroll, Editor-in-Chief of the 
May 25th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Maurice Eisenstein’s Facebook posting was not connected to his faculty position at Purdue University-Calumet (PUC), but that did not stop faculty and students from filing a complaint against Eisenstein with the University. Subsequent to PUC’s investigation of the complaint, the Chancellor cleared Eisenstein of harassment and discrimination, but reprimanded him for retaliation against two faculty colleagues. Eisenstein claims he was subjected to a witch hunt, in which PUC attempted to establish a nexus between his personal views and his classroom. Eisenstein is seeking legal redress on First Amendment grounds.
The Medium, a Rutgers student publication, published what it called “satire”, praising Adolf Hitler and attributed authorship to Aaron Marcus, a pro-Israel student activist. The Medium is University-sponsored with an assigned Rutgers faculty advisor, and a recipient of University funding. Regardless of whether the funding originates from the State of New Jersey or student fees, The Medium is supported by a public university, and in my opinion, such support comes with an ethical obligation to not blatantly offend a significant portion of the Rutgers community.
I disagree with your assertion,”At least FIRE is consistent”. On the contrary, there is a significant inconsistency in the two cases. Eisenstein was allegedly targeted by PUC for espousing his views in a non-University venue (Facebook). The Medium, an agent of Rutgers, allegedly targeted Marcus for his pro-Israel advocacy. In one case, FIRE advocates for the individual (Eisenstein) against the University, but in the other case FIRE advocates for an agent of the University (The Medium) against an individual (Marcus). In light of the alleged previous harassment directed at Marcus by an agent of the University, the outreach coordinator for the Rutgers Center for Middle Eastern Studies (see NJJN article dated 7/6/2011), FIRE should re-think their advocacy at Rutgers.
Finally, I see your “Fox News” problem extends to “FrontPageMag.com” as well. You just could not resist taking a shot at a conservative publication. Unlike you, I suspect that most readers of “FrontPageMag.com” can “extend that principle to a Muslim professor who attacked Jews, Judaism or Israel” as long as they do not have to fund such attacks through tuition, student fees or taxes.