By Sara Russo

Professor Kenneth Hearlson was suspended without a hearing from his position at Orange Coast Community College. The suspension comes a mere two days after he remarked in class that Muslims' silence in the wake of crimes committed against Jews and Christian in the Middle East was tantamount to supporting terrorism.

The suspension was given based on the complaints of four Muslim students in Hearlson's "Introduction to Government" class. The students accused their professor of calling them "murderers," "terrorists," and "Nazis."

Hearlson vigorously denies this claim, and asserts that at the beginning of his September 18th class he merely asked his students to consider a controversial question. "What we were talking about and the crux of the whole issue was ...how the Muslim world, which condemns, or at least they say they condemn, the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, but will not condemn terrorist attacks against Israel," Hearlson told Campus Report.

A Vietnam veteran and self-described "blue collar professor," Hearlson prides himself on his animated teaching style and encourages vigorous discussion in his classroom. Never one to hide his political beliefs from his students, Hearlson notes that he is "real up front with them" and at the beginning of each semester discloses that "I'm a born again Christian and I'm a staunch supporter of Israel and of Jewish people. But I also tell them I conduct an open classroom where everyone gets to express a point of view and whether you like or dislike the view is not the point."

According to Hearlson's account, the September 18 class discussion was just such an example of open dialogue. The ten Muslim students in the class of 200 were not at all shy about airing their beliefs. One stood up and said, "It's okay to shoot their eyes out in Israel," Hearlson reports. Another insisted that, "The bombing of America was not done by Muslims."

The comments made by Muslim students angered others in the class and led to a heated discussion. Hearlson admits that he also challenged what some of the Muslim students were saying. "Why are everyday Muslims celebrating in the streets for the World Trade Center bombings and supporting Osama Bin Laden?" he asked.

Hearlson later clarified that his remarks in class were referring only to those Muslims who condoned terrorism, including attacks in Israel, and notes that he apologized twice during the class period in case some felt his remarks got too personal.

But four Muslim students in Hearlson's class were angered by the professor's conduct during the session. They immediately sought out Vice President Robert Dees and charged that Hearlson had called them "murderers," "terrorists," and "Nazis." Within twenty-four hours of the complaint, Orange Coast College placed Hearlson, a tenured professor who had taught at the institution for two decades, on paid leave, failing even to conduct a hearing to determine whether the students' accusations had merit.

Orange Coast president Margaret Gratton admits that administration's actions were atypical, but claims that they were motivated by an extraordinary set of circumstances. "Under normal conditions, there would have been more extensive consultation" before placing a professor on leave, she said, but as a result of the attacks on America, "this occurred in an exceptional environment."

"It's not a free speech issue, it's a teacher conduct issue," Vice President of Instruction Bob Dees told Campus Report. "Teachers should not, I think everyone would agree, should not insult students in class or make them feel threatened or endanger them in any way by putting them in a bad light. And if those allegations are true the college needs to respond to that in some way."

Dees acknowledges that two very different accounts of the class period were given by students. "The Muslims and other students in the class allege that he specifically pointed at individual students and accused them," he said. "Others indicate that they thought the comments were made more generally."

"I am shocked that First Amendment rights, speaking in a classroom, can be denied so easily," Hearlson told Campus Report. "That's what shocks me."

The University also contends that Hearlson initially agreed to being placed on paid leave. "The matter was discussed with him, and I discussed it with him, and in addition, when he was placed on leave, he agreed to it," Dees told Campus Report. He thought it was the best thing to do at that time."

Hearlson has received a great deal of support from students and some faculty members on campus who have started petitions and e-mail campaigns and posted hundreds of flyers around the college. "If the administration goes ahead and fires him, there will be great unrest on campus," said Hani Bushra, an Arab Christian student and leader of the petition-signing campaign to get Hearlson reinstated. "We won't let this issue die."

But all responses have not been positive. At the first class meeting following the initial debate, covered by a substitute, a violent argument erupted outside the classroom involving a few Muslim students and about sixty others. "Go back where you came from," some students allegedly yelled at the Muslims. Another student reported that one of the Muslims retorted, "Don't hold your breath [that Hearlson's coming back]. He might not live."

The students who initially filed the complaint against Hearlson are demanding that the professor be fired, and Orange Coast College has hired an outside investigator from the Board of Education to look into the case and recommend what steps ought be taken. Hearlson, unsurprisingly, has hired a lawyer.

Though he has apologized for his remarks in class which he feels have been misinterpreted, Hearlson does not regret his controversial teaching style. "I like to irritate everyone, including myself," he said. "That's how you get pearls."

After spending the last two months out of the classroom, Hearlson's most fervent wish for the new year is to return to his teaching duties. "I'm hoping that I'll be reinstated and back in the classroom next January for the spring semester, teaching the exact same classes that I've been teaching for years," he said.