Well, the high and mighty New York Times says a new “threat to academic freedom” has emerged, and it’s not Donald Trump. It’s a new website launched last week called “Professor Watchlist.”
The “watchlist” names 200 college professors who — according to students — spread leftist propaganda in their classrooms, and are biased against conservative students. The mere existence of this list is supposedly a threat to academic freedom.
Julio Cesar Pino, an associate professor of history at Kent State, is on the list. He complains that the goal of the site is to shame and defame professors. Other critics warn the site will be used to harass professors — or maybe even sabotage their careers.
I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve taken over the years from college students and parents, describing the liberal propaganda these kids are routinely exposed to in class, and the hateful treatment they’ve received at liberal universities. I mean, they have to endure ridicule, bullying, and blatant hostility — bad grades, all of that — in silence for fear their grades will suffer if they spoke up.
The Professor Watchlist isn’t a threat to academic freedom. It makes the point that conservatives have academic freedom, too. Which is a point long overdue!