This is almost beyond comprehension. From Nat Hentoff, via PhiBetaCons:
At Brandeis University in Massachusetts, professor Donald Hindley -- on the faculty for 48 years -- teaches a course on Latin American politics. Last fall, he described how Mexican migrants to the United States used to be discriminatorily called ''wetbacks.'' An anonymous student complained to the administration accusing Hindley of using prejudicial language -- the first complaint against him in 48 years.
After an investigation, during which Hindley was not told the nature of the complaint, Brandeis Provost Marty Krauss informed Hindley that ''The University will not tolerate inappropriate, racial and discriminatory conduct by members of its faculty.'' A corollary accusation was that students suffered ''significant emotional trauma'' when exposed to such a term.
An administration monitor was assigned to his class. Threatened with ''termination,'' Hindley was ordered to take a sensitivity-training class. With no charges against him, no evidence of misconduct given him and no hearing, he refused -- in the spirit of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, for whom this university is named.
I say "almost beyond comprehension" because something similar happened at this university over a decade ago. My friend, BenS, who was an emeritus professor in the department of hydraulic socionomology, was speaking with some young people from his department and expressed the view on affirmative action that he didn't think someone should be hired only because she has a vagina. Within a day or so, the then dean of social sciences called him in for a meeting and demanded he apologize (to whom? for what?); and the department tried to implement a speech code for its students and faculty members.
Fortunately, Ben refused (as did Hindley at Brandeis), the department speech code was rejected by higher university authorities, and the issue died. I think, though, the episode left him scarred, and he should sue somebody.