CBS12 is reporting that Ryan Rotela, a junior at FAU explained that Dr. Deandre Poole, the instructor in his Intercultural Communications class, made everyone take out a piece of paper and write the name "Jesus" on it in bold letters. They were then instructed to put the paper on the floor and stomp on it.
Rotela, a devout Mormon, refused and told the instructor he was offended by what he was being instructed to do."Anytime you stomp on something it shows that you believe that something has no value. So if you were to stomp on the word Jesus, it says that the word has no value," said Ryan.
Two days later, he expressed his concerns about the bizarre exercise to Dr. Poole's superviso and was suspended from the class a short time later.
Responding to an inquiry from CBS12, FAU sent an e-mail saying that the instructor was doing a classroom exercise from a textbook entitled "Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 5th Edition."
"Faculty and students at academic institutions pursue knowledge and engage in open discourse," the e-mail said. "While at times the topics discussed may be sensitive, a university environment is a venue for such dialogue and debate."
According to TheRightScoop.com, Dr. Deandre Poole is currently serving as the Recording Secretary for the Palm Beach County Democratic Executive Committee and is authoring a book, Obamamania: The Rise of a Mythical Hero, to be published by Edwin Mellon Press.
His official bio claims that his research program "focuses on the role mediated messages play in shaping individual attitudes and beliefs concerning issues of justice and inequality, and examines how leaders, organizations and other influential authorities dominate and oppress marginalized groups of people."
Thus far, the school has not said whether the teacher will face disciplinary action.
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