expelled for not believing in Lepracauns..?

#1

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland ... gory=22101

I can't make this shit up... Kid challenged girl's "scientific" belief in Lepracauns and got expelled. He MIGHT get re-admitted, pending Psychological evaluation. that's it, I need meds to survive in this world.

--------- SUMMARY

Bob Averill's classmates at the Art Institute of Portland had finished up their work in a character development class on November 8, and were chatting to pass the time until class was over. The discussion moved toward spirituality. Averill, a Game Art Design student and a devoted atheist¢¢¬¢‚¬he even runs a blog called Portland Atheist¢¢¬¢‚¬sidled over and joined the conversation.

It was the last time he'd be in an Art Institute class¢¢¬¢‚¬within two weeks, he was expelled, less than a year before he'd hoped to graduate.

In the classroom that day, Averill says one young woman was talking about her belief in energy layers and astral beings.

"I jokingly asked her if she believed in leprechauns. It turns out, she does. They live on another energy layer," Averill wrote in notes to himself later that day. "In the interest of bringing my own view to the discussion, I began to ask her how she knew these things. Again I know all too well that people can be sensitive about their spiritual beliefs, so I was pretty much walking on glass as I did so."

The student who complained on November 8 wished to remain anonymous, but her account backs up Engeldinger's letter. Her complaint was not the only reason he was sent into the Dean's office. "The teacher even told me that my complaint was the 'last straw' as SEVERAL other complaints were stated before mine."

However, she says she "did not wish for him to be expelled or get in trouble and I had no idea that it was going to happen until after the fact."

On Monday morning, November 20, Averill met with the school's president, Dr. Steven Goldman, to appeal his dismissal. "He upheld the dean's decision to throw me out," Averill says. "He offered to re-admit me if I underwent¢¢¬¢‚¬get this¢¢¬¢‚¬psychiatric evaluation."

#2

He needs to come here with his atheist beliefs, and I'll promise not to ban him... /:D" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt=":D" />

#3

But he would have to believe in trolls.... for fapper's sake....

#4

hehe, why not. I mean the things one hears nowadays... *sigh*

#5

that just might be one of the most interesting things ive ever heard

#6

It's not clear from this write-up why this student was expelled. Butthe fuller story available via the link at the top of the piece is intruguing. Is this yet morte political correctness gone mad?

I looks like someone in authority just does not like this kid and they have pulled a few levers to get rid of him. The school seems to not even have its story straight.

See:-
"Their mantra was 'no discussing religion in school,'
vs:-
"I can say that we have never suspended or terminated or disciplined or otherwise troubled any student at any time about religious issues. It's never even come up as an issue," says Goldman, who also teaches a comparative religion class at the school. Given the Art Institute's liberal arts curriculum, there is no policy against discussing religion or philosophy, "or any other subject as far as I know. We have an academic community in which people are free to explore ideas."

Understand me, I am no atheist, but I have no objection to a discussion about the non-existence or otherwise of goblins or dwarfs or whatever.

I tell you, the shit heads are running the asylum, it seems to me. Because this is truly insane.

#7

this is madness

#8

From the "Last Straw" comment, it sounds like there is a LOT more to this story that leads up to this conversation. Some people can be very belittling in conversations of belief.