An intense public outcry has persuaded Florida Atlantic University (FAU) to reverse its decision to punish a student who complained about a class exercise requiring him to stomp on the name of Jesus. It has also led to an investigation of the University by Florida Governor Rick Scott.
Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio is reporting that FAU has issued a formal apology to Ryan Rotela, a student who was facing a variety of academic charges for complaining about a class assignment in which he was instructed to write the name of Jesus on a slip of paper, then throw it on the floor and stomp on it. The assignment was part of a class on Intercultural Communication.
Rotela refused to comply and when he complained about the assignment to university authorities, he was promptly suspended from the class. He went to the press and his story caught fire, causing such a massive backlash from across the country that the school decided not to follow through with plans to charge the student with various violations of the student code of conduct.
“First and foremost, we are deeply sorry for any hurt regarding this incident, any insensitivity that may have been seen by the community and the greater community at large,” said Corey King, the university’s dean of students, to Fox News. “We are deeply sorry.”
King also promised that the assignment would no longer be offered.
Rotela’s attorney, Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Institute, said there will be no punishment for him. “They are wiping the record clean for Ryan,” Sasser said. “They are reinstating him for a plan to complete the course without that professor.”
Thus far, nothing is known about the fate of the instructor of the course, Dr. Deandre Poole, who also serves as vice chair of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party.
Although unable to comment on employment matters, King did say that while the university embraces academic freedom, they realize “that comes with responsibility and we recognize that the activity at that time was insensitive.”
Gov. Rick Scott has now entered the fray and is demanding a detailed report from state university system Chancellor Frank Brogan regarding the incident.
“Whether the student was reprimanded or whether an apology was given is in many ways (inconsequential) to the larger issue of a professor’s poor judgment,” Scott stated in a letter to Brogan. “The professor’s lesson was offensive, and even intolerant, to Christians and those of all faiths who deserve to be respected as Americans entitled to religious freedom.”
As for Rotela, he’s satisfied with the way things turned out and has nothing but praise for the American Christian community who supported him in such overwhelming numbers.
“I have two words – thank you,” he said. “If it wasn’t for all the Christians and the open-minded people who decided to call the university – I would be sitting in a room getting punished, getting sanctioned from the school and getting expelled from the university.”
Sasser said Rotela’s case is a good lesson for other Americans who are facing persecution for their faith.
“It just takes one person to stand up against this type of aggressive nonsense,” he told Fox News. “It also takes like-minded people standing together to say we are not going to tolerate this type of religious bigotry.”
He added: “When we all stand together – we win.”
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