West Point is violating the First Amendment with a crackdown on professors, lawsuit says

H

Hume

Verified User
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is banning opinions by professors in the classroom and some books and courses in a crackdown that violates the First Amendment, a law professor at the military school said in a lawsuit Monday seeking class action status.

Tim Bakken filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court and named the school and its leaders as defendants. He said he wants to protect free speech and the right to academic freedom at an institution where he has flourished despite his public criticisms of the academy and the U.S. military.

apnews.com

West Point is violating the First Amendment with a crackdown on professors, lawsuit says

A law professor at West Point has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Military Academy, saying it violates the First Amendment by banning professors' opinions in the classroom and restricting certain books and courses.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
Hume said:
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is banning opinions by professors in the classroom and some books and courses in a crackdown that violates the First Amendment, a law professor at the military school said in a lawsuit Monday seeking class action status.

Tim Bakken filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court and named the school and its leaders as defendants. He said he wants to protect free speech and the right to academic freedom at an institution where he has flourished despite his public criticisms of the academy and the U.S. military.

apnews.com

West Point is violating the First Amendment with a crackdown on professors, lawsuit says

A law professor at West Point has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Military Academy, saying it violates the First Amendment by banning professors' opinions in the classroom and restricting certain books and courses.
apnews.com apnews.com
Click to expand...
He's really got no case. West Point is a US Army base and follows the UCMJ in regard to all military personnel there. The civilian staff and instructors are employees of the US Army and government. They don't get to teach whatever-the-fuck they want, and the same goes for foisting their political opinions on official time.

Tim Bakken is likely not long for future employment at West Point. It's drivel like this that will get him fired:

lithub.com

Tim Bakken on the Self-Deluded Hubris at the Heart of the American Military

The military’s loyalty to itself and determined separation from society have produced an authoritarian institution that is contributing to the erosion of American democracy. The hubris, arrogance, …
lithub.com lithub.com

Amazon.com: The Cost of Loyalty: Dishonesty, Hubris, and Failure in the U.S. Military: 9781632868985: Bakken, Tim: Books

Amazon.com: The Cost of Loyalty: Dishonesty, Hubris, and Failure in the U.S. Military: 9781632868985: Bakken, Tim: Books
www.amazon.com

Bakken sees himself as a whistle blower / knight in shining armor exposing the Army and West Point for being a hidebound institution. He's just another iconoclast who doesn't get the US military as an institution.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
He's really got no case. West Point is a US Army base and follows the UCMJ in regard to all military personnel there. The civilian staff and instructors are employees of the US Army and government. They don't get to teach whatever-the-fuck they want, and the same goes for foisting their political opinions on official time.

Tim Bakken is likely not long for future employment at West Point. It's drivel like this that will get him fired:

lithub.com

Tim Bakken on the Self-Deluded Hubris at the Heart of the American Military

The military’s loyalty to itself and determined separation from society have produced an authoritarian institution that is contributing to the erosion of American democracy. The hubris, arrogance, …
lithub.com lithub.com

Amazon.com: The Cost of Loyalty: Dishonesty, Hubris, and Failure in the U.S. Military: 9781632868985: Bakken, Tim: Books

Amazon.com: The Cost of Loyalty: Dishonesty, Hubris, and Failure in the U.S. Military: 9781632868985: Bakken, Tim: Books
www.amazon.com

Bakken sees himself as a whistle blower / knight in shining armor exposing the Army and West Point for being a hidebound institution. He's just another iconoclast who doesn't get the US military as an institution.
Click to expand...
No surprise you oppose academic freedom.
 
Hume said:
No surprise you oppose academic freedom.
Click to expand...
It isn't "academic freedom." West Point is not some public or private university, and its values reflect the needs and expectations of the US Army, not society as a whole. It is not a reflection of society, nor is it some place where you conduct social experiments. That is what Bakken complains about. He's the one that doesn't get it. West Point doesn't do "academic freedom." It does officer training to make Army leaders within the expectations of that service.

If Bakken wants academic freedom, he should resign his position and go to a university that does that.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
It isn't "academic freedom." West Point is not some public or private university, and its values reflect the needs and expectations of the US Army, not society as a whole. It is not a reflection of society, nor is it some place where you conduct social experiments. That is what Bakken complains about. He's the one that doesn't get it. West Point doesn't do "academic freedom." It does officer training to make Army leaders within the expectations of that service.

If Bakken wants academic freedom, he should resign his position and go to a university that does that.
Click to expand...
Again, no surprise you hate education.
 
“As a professor of law, Plaintiff’s inability to express opinions on the subject matter being taught is stifling and disruptive to the educational process,” the lawsuit said. It added that he no longer would be able to express to students whether a major or dissenting opinion is persuasive and why.
 
Hume said:
Again, no surprise you hate education.
Click to expand...
You don't get it. West Point is a military academy not a public or private university. It has a specific purpose and a specific curriculum tailored to that end. Instructors don't get to foist their personal opinions. That's how it works.
 
Hume said:
“As a professor of law, Plaintiff’s inability to express opinions on the subject matter being taught is stifling and disruptive to the educational process,” the lawsuit said. It added that he no longer would be able to express to students whether a major or dissenting opinion is persuasive and why.
Click to expand...
Bakken doesn't get to foist his personal opinions while teaching at West Point. That's how it is. That's how the military works.
 
Hume said:
Nothing to do with topic of the thread.
Click to expand...
It has everything to do with it. West Point isn't trying to turn out deep thinking 'well rounded' college graduates. It is trying to turn out effective military officers. One of the things it doesn't need to do that is pointless philosophical debates about ephemeral nonsense. You don't get to foist your opinion freely in the military. You do as ordered. That's how it works.
 
Hume said:
No idea what you wrote.
Click to expand...
A 'Ring knocker' is someone who graduated from a US military academy.

ring knocker​


ring knocker​

n. Slang
A commissioned nonreservist officer in the US armed forces who is a graduate of one of the three US military academies, especially West Point.

5 reasons why troops can’t stand ring-knocking lieutenants​

www.wearethemighty.com

5 reasons why troops can't stand ring-knocking lieutenants

There are four types of officers troops will encounter, each with a mindset that corresponds with how they became an officer. First, you've got your
www.wearethemighty.com www.wearethemighty.com

I was at one point when on the USS Enterprise, a 'separatee' from one such ring knocker for watch standing. The MPA, Electrical Officer, and Engineer couldn't dispute my position with regard to this JO, and their solution was to simply make sure we were never to be on the watch bill at the same time.
 
Bakken's lawsuit alleges that West Point issued an "Academic Engagement Policy" on February 13 which requires faculty to get prior approval before speaking publicly or publishing in an official capacity.

When Bakken argued it was unconstitutional, a deputy department head "turned red, pounded the table, and admonished that (Bakken) must obey the regulation," according to the complaint.

www.reuters.com

West Point hit with lawsuit by professor alleging free speech violation

The longest-ever serving law professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is suing the elite Army institution over an alleged violation of his free-speech rights under the U.S. Constitution, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
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