Conservative Prof's Discrimination Grievance Heard, Favorably Resolved
by Jim Brown
July 22, 2005
(AgapePress) - A University of Montana law professor who claims the school repeatedly denied him the opportunity to teach his subject because of his conservative views has scored a big victory.Law professor Rob Natelson had filed a grievance over what he felt were "politically motivated" efforts by university administrators to prevent him from teaching constitutional law. But recently, an independent panel voted 2-to-1 to assign him to the course permanently, and the university has agreed to that recommendation.
Natelson says he is relieved and grateful that the panel has ruled in his favor, and he also believes the case may have some wider repercussions. "For one thing," he notes, "it may encourage universities to treat dissenters, especially conservative dissenters, a little better than they have."
Also, the constitutional law instructor says the panel's decision may help to "encourage those minorities in the universities who are discriminated against -- such as conservatives, libertarians and Evangelicals -- to stand up more strongly for their own rights." He is hopeful that the outcome of his case will lead to greater ideological diversity on the University of Montana campus.
Natelson's grievance alleged that he had been the target of political discrimination, a problem he believes is prevalent on campuses nationwide. "There have been a number of articles recently in the press about how unbalanced the universities are, how much skewed they are to the Left," he says, "and, if anything, I think those articles understate the scope of the problem."
This is a serious issue, the professor adds, because higher education requires that a variety of viewpoints be represented. "And that's not happening in most colleges and universities now," he says. Natelson will begin teaching the constitutional law course in the spring.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
