UTSA Professor: Do you think the university had grounds to fire Ayers? (Howe: elementary school, legal)

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

Just a little bitty thing called tenure.

Academic tenure is intended to guarantee the right to academic freedom, to protect teachers and researchers when they dissent from prevailing opinion, openly disagree with authority, or spend time on unfashionable topics.

It has nothing to do with what he did.

UTSA is a public university, which means his salary is paid by us, the taxpayers. He is a civil servant, and his conduct is unprofessional; and he should be out of there like a squirrel on a catapult!

Cheers! M2

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

I cannot believe the school can't find justification for firing him based on what he was doing. Texas is an 'at will' state, which means they should be able to release him for no reason whatsoever.

Not for state employees, unless they're above a certain tier.

And then there's tenure.

[Paka]

And this is WHY this is big news...if ANYONE is above the law...it needs to be taken to the public to be addressed.

I hold those that have allowed this behavior to take place without reporting it just as responsible as he is. This guy at Palo Alto, what did HE do to address this behavior when he because aware of it??? Those that have been named deserve to be called to light...if they stand behind their decisions/actions as been fair and just,then they won't MIND everyone knowing that was their decision...but if they want to be allowed to make decisions/policy without being held accountable, then they too have issues that should be dealt with.

I guess what surprises me most is your position on this...those that are teaching/serving/working at a location that has been brought to public attention in such an unfavorable light are NORMALLY the ones most offended by the misdeeds of a few that tarnish so many. I would have thought you would have had reason to feel outraged that he has brought UTSA to such poor light. He alone is responsible for his websurfing/emails...both those that have tried to cover/protect him have shown that this issue runs much deeper than just the one tenured professor.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

Academic tenure is intended to guarantee the right to academic freedom, to protect teachers and researchers when they dissent from prevailing opinion, openly disagree with authority, or spend time on unfashionable topics.

It has nothing to do with what he did.

UTSA is a public university, which means his salary is paid by us, the taxpayers. He is a civil servant, and his conduct is unprofessional; and he should be out of there like a squirrel on a catapult!

Cheers! M2

But it still means he has to have clearly violated some law/statute/whatever before he can be fired. If there's not something expressly in writing which states that such surfing, such emails etc are forbidden,, whether or not they are morally inappropriate or presumed to be wrong, they may not be able to just fire him.

It is extremely hard to fire someone in the state system, below a certain level (I'm not sure where a professors falls in the pay grade). Directors can be easily fired. Lower-level, not so much.

[the_dimwit]

I would submit that, with almost 100% certainty, there is language in the UTSA HR manual(s) given to all employees that states such activity is expressly forbidden. I'll let you know in a few weeks when I start working there (grant employee).

--Dim

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

I would submit that, with almost 100% certainty, there is language in the UTSA HR manual(s) given to all employees that states such activity is expressly forbidden. I'll let you know in a few weeks when I start working there (grant employee).

--Dim

Highly probable, but also possible it's not. I worked at a university that got stuck in a very similar scenario simply because they didn't have specific language addressing it. They did change things afterwards.

Sometimes they make assumptions that things aren't needed...until the are

[Paka]

Go and read the quotes from his email on the WOAI dot com website...this is not just a PERV...he is a CHILD PREDATOR from things quoted from his emails.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by Paka

Go and read the quotes from his email on the WOAI dot com website...this is not just a PERV...he is a CHILD PREDATOR from things quoted from his emails.

Yet another reason why he not only needs to be removed from the academic environment, but society in general!

I don't care what the "rules" are concerning this, you have to be a real idiot to not know this is wrong and every effort needs to be made to remove this moron from the university system.

Cheers! M2

[rd2007]

Hopefully the police are investigating him. A freak like that has probably done all sorts of bad and needs to be removed.

[hello13685]

Those who have not gone to college may need to be reminded that no university student is under 18 (barring special circumstances), so no child molestation would be involved in this case.