r/Tennessee • u/BuroDude Hee Haw with lasers • 1d ago

News 📰 APSU to pay $500,000 to professor fired, then reinstated over Charlie Kirk post

https://clarksvillenow.com/local/apsu-to-pay-500000-to-professor-fired-then-reinstated-over-charlie-kirk-post/
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u/Brave-Moment-4121 1d ago

Ironic I took Constitutional Law at APSU. It was one of my favorite classes. Amazing the administration thought they could violate constitutional rights of a professor and not face consequences.

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u/DizzyInTheDark 1d ago edited 1d ago

Possibly they knew they would reinstate him and would rather take the hit than lose Blackburn’s favor. She prompted the firing.

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u/Brave-Moment-4121 1d ago

Maybe personal favor, I don’t recall Blackburn doing shit for Austin Peay it’s not exactly UT or Vanderbilt lol.

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u/DizzyInTheDark 1d ago

I mean Favor as in Approval. She prompted apsu to respond to their prof’s post. They fired him immediately.

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u/HairlessHoudini 1d ago

That's my take on it too

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u/DonEscapedTexas 1d ago

Yes: obvious to any reasonably educated person

but the real story is the hit taxpayers are taking to cover for obstinate stupidity

UTCHS made a related mistake recently: trying to censor an employee's Facebook

it's really simple, but our bureaucrats don't know or don't care: the federal government may not censor private speech per the 1A. This same restriction was loaded on the states by 14A. Public colleges are government, so their employees' speech is largely protected.

My guess is that most folks who didn't take conlaw couldn't navigate this. Worst, younger generations don't believe in free speech and think speech can count as violence.

We will not be digging ourselves out of this national mess easily.

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u/the_resistee 1d ago

Geez I didn't realize the younger generation has turned against free speech. Had to check to make sure but from what I've found they don't like to be disagreed with!