Clash with university over beliefs strands student

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | August 22, 2008 | Kathleen Willey

[Man50D]

A university student who challenged his school's "speech code" and won a ruling in federal court that it was vague, overbroad and stifled student speech, including his Christian views, is continuing his battle with Temple University because the school has – three years after he completed it – declined to provide a grade on his master's thesis, thus effectively denying him his degree.

The Alliance Defense Fund recently announced that the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had affirmed the district court victory by Christian DeJohn, who is a sergeant in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

The ADF handled DeJohn's successful request in the courts for a permanent injunction against Temple University's speech code, and after a district judge sided with DeJohn, the appeals court confirmed "speech cannot be prohibited in the absence of a tenable threat of disruption… Furthermore, the policy's use of 'hostile,' 'offensive,' and 'gender-motivated' is, on its face, sufficiently broad and subjective that they 'could conceivably be applied to cover any speech' of a 'gender-motivated' nature 'the content of which offends someone.'"

Continued the appeals court ruling, "This could include 'core' political and religious speech, such as gender politics and sexual morality… The policy provides no shelter for core protected speech."

DeJohn's career, however, is not advancing as he planned. He told W ND the judge's order did not include instructions for Temple to grade his thesis, so more than three years after he completed it under school supervision, it still sits.

[JudgemAll]

War goes on. Liberals can’t handle what they start. They leave no chance cuz they have none. Everyhere they are, an air of bad karma and incompetence hovers.

[Vanders9]

Utterly disgraceful.

[incredulous joe]

The article is authored by Kathleen Willey?

[Jay Howard Smith]

Thats what I was wondering. I checked the WND site and could not find her listed under Columinists .... !

[Clive]

There seems to be no end of the number and variety of the quarrels in the anti-free-speech quiver.

[Man50D]

The article is authored by Kathleen Willey?

I was wondering how long it would take someone to notice the name.

[EBH]

DeJohn said he never even was interviewed for the post, but under a Freedom of Information Act request, he obtained documents showing that he was rated No. 1 out of 62 candidates for that position.

This professor wields too much power. It sounds like DeJohn may have a larger case against the University and the liberal professor.

[rbg81]

Sounds like grounds for a civil suit. Make the bastards pay thru the nose.

[LibLieSlayer]

Burn the profs house and car to the ground... hold a sock party for the prof.

LLS

[Senator John Blutarski]

“Sounds like grounds for a civil suit. Make the bastards pay thru the nose.”

..... a BIG and PUBLIC civil suit. The behavior of Temple at a variety of levels has been so utterly reprehensible that the case deserves to be pursued in the most vigorous and public manner. IMO, this is worth a call to David Horowitz.

[rbg81]

This is actually a trend I’ve been noticing lately among Libs. When a judicial ruling goes for them (as most do), it must be followed to the letter. When it goes against them, they split hairs, look for ways to bypass, or (worst of all) ignore it completely.

[geezerwheezer]

This is just one more nail in the coffin of academia and I hope this young man knows what to do when he owns Temple University and all of its’ property and trust funds. Seems as though they have a vendetta against anyone who dares speak his own mind, and Sgt. DeJohns should be in court as soon as possible with this abuse of his civil liberties.