I post this here because I think there is a interesting discussion out of this, what do you people think about this?
In the summer of 2020, two issues dominated the headlines: the COVID pandemic and the widespread unrest surrounding George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and the “racial reckoning.” It was in this environment, with the country also at or near the apex of “cancel culture,” that the University of Central Florida tried to fire associate professor of psychology Charles Negy for his tweets about race and society. Negy fought back and sued.
Five years later, his lawsuit continues — and last week, it brought good news not just for Professor Negy but for everyone who cares about free speech on campus.
Last week, Judge Carlos E. Mendoza of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled that Negy’s lawsuit could proceed against four of the five administrators he sued. Importantly, the court denied claims of qualified immunity, a doctrine that says public officials aren’t liable for unconstitutional activity unless they knew or should have known their actions were unconstitutional. By denying qualified immunity to UCF’s administrators, Judge Mendoza formally recognized what was obvious from the very beginning: UCF knew or should have known that what it was doing violated the First Amendment, but they went ahead and did it anyway.
First things first, fuck this article and fuck their ugly-ass AI slop.
Secondly, I’m not gonna comment on the legality or what is protected under 1st amendment- it’s not my expertise. Negy is a piece of shit and everyone I knew who had him as a professor was glad he was gone. His hateful comments weren’t reserved for twitter - he said that shit during his lectures. I also suspect his tweets were a stunt to drum up sales for a book he published around the same time. It’s so easy to sell to conservative morons. Just say some inappropriate things, cry like a baby when the consequences of your actions appear, then hold out your hand as hicks, the sexually repressed, and just plain assholes come flocking to empty their wallets for you.
is there such a thing as “legitimate criticism” against an entire race of people? this writer is bonkers, and you can tell from the intro. seems like the actual content of the post was buried beneath the first paragraph where a rare few would find it. maybe it was wrong or illegal to fire this guy for being a racist asshole (being a state funded org or something?), but couching it in this narrative of “cancel culture” and “a violation of the first amendment” has fashy vibes to me. institutions should be allowed to control the narrative set by their employees. i understand that as part of my company my words reflect on them, and it’s up to their discretion whether they want to continue to associate with me based on the things i say. you have every right to say racist shit on your favorite fascist-owned platform, but everyone else has the right to tell you to fuck off.
also big downvote for posting this in a technology community
After some students complained to the school about Negy’s tweets, UCF responded by soliciting further complaints about him. That led to the opening of an investigation into Negy’s classroom speech as well. Seven months later, what began as an investigation of tweets led to 300 interviews; which led to a (get ready for this) 244-page report. As I wrote at the time, the report made absolute hash of academic freedom with what struck me as nonsensical lines drawn between speech it believed to be protected and unprotected:
According to the UCF investigation, it is protected speech to say that girl scouts preserve their virginity (p. 25), but not that women are attracted to men with money (p. 26). It is protected speech to say that Jesus was schizophrenic (p. 36), but unprotected to say that Jesus did not come into the world to die for everyone’s sins (p. 36). It’s protected to say that Islam is cruel and not a religion of peace (p. 107) but not that it is a toxic mythology (p. 35).
This shit is so ridiculous. As someone who is ardently progressive, this is literally the reason why progressives fail to succeed in a nutshell. So much wasted time on people like this guy, who should be allowed to make his point, be derided by those who disagree, and everyone can move on.
But instead, no. We need 300 interviews and a 244 page report where a bunch of morons who make 6 figures a year in public/tuition money try to draw the line of what is an acceptable vs unacceptable opinion to have about random topics. And somehow, after 244 pages of writing that nonsense, no one stopped to think “hey, maybe were in the wrong here and this makes absolutely zero fucking sense whatsoever”
Winning political power to effect change isnt going to come from tossing out the 1st amendment and trying to criticize every opinion anyone ever has about anything. People should have the right to be wrong and change their minds. No one is born cognizant of how to not socially offend the sensibilities of everyone from the jump.
If progressives want to build the future they want for this country, they need to change hearts and minds. Meet disagreement on opinions with as much sensitivity as you demand out of everybody else not to offend you. Then maybe we can actually get somewhere. Ive never had a problem getting people to stop acting racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, etc just by not responding positively to that bullshit, and telling them facts about reality. Its not hard to change peoples views if you dont start by telling them they are a terrible person who should either adopt your view or parish
It’s the University’s responsibility to act when students make reports of hurtful comments coming from a position of power.
If Negy wanted to spew his hate - he could have gone and sat his ass on the Free Speech lawn. Not his lecture hall.
