The Media Discovers the Outrageous Case of Walter Kehowski

FIRE’s stunning case at Glendale Community College in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) continues to receive considerable notice in media outlets across the nation. The case involves Professor Walter Kehowski, who has been placed on forced administrative leave and recommended for termination because he e-mailed George Washington’s Thanksgiving Address (and a source link to Pat Buchanan’s blog) over an “announcements” listserv to all college employees. Several of Kehowski’s colleagues complained about some of Buchanan’s views regarding immigration, expressed elsewhere on his blog. As a result, Kehowski was charged with violating MCCCD’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy and policies limiting e-mail usage. So far, Inside Higher Ed, the Arizona Republic, Frontpage Magazine, the Tucson Citizen, Phi Beta Cons, and Pat Buchanan’s blog have all covered the story. Additionally, just this morning, FIRE’s own Greg Lukianoff did a radio interview for Seattle’s Sytman & Boze Morning show on KTTH-AM Seattle. To hear Professor Kehowski himself, tune in at 4:35 (EST) this afternoon to the nationally syndicated Greg Knapp Experience.

FIRE has received many e-mails from outraged citizens addressed to Chancellor Glasper (480-731-8100; r.glasper@domail.maricopa.edu) encouraging him to drop the case against Professor Kehowski. For the sake of fundamental fairness and freedom of speech at MCCCD, we hope he does.