Faculty Discrimination Against Conservatives
February 2014
We have long noted that the academy wants diversity in all things except diversity of thought. Now, a progressive culture that celebrates victims and grievances is seeing some results of their policies. In an article in the February 8 Wall Street Journal, writer Peter Berkowitz documents the case of Teresa Wagner, a highly qualified candidate denied a job at the University School of Law, possibly due to her political beliefs. When compared to the resumes of her competitors for the position, it is difficult to imagine that this conservative, pro-life candidate was denied on the basis of merit.
What is of surprise is not that she was denied the position based on political views but rather that anybody would be surprised, and that she fought back. It is noted in the article that prior to this suit, that of the 50 member faculty, only one was a Republican. In a country in which 49% of the electorate voted against Barak Obama, 2% of the faculty at a major university law school is conservative. The article also notes that they have since hired more Republicans but that sounds suspicious.
What is heartening about this situation is someone is fighting the system. Until more individuals such a Ms. Wagner stand up to this system, it will simply perpetuate the dominance of the academy by one ideology. Many individuals were surprised when Obama, with a high unemployment rate, the specter of Obamacare and Benghazi could have won the election. There are and will be books and columns on that. But one of the reasons is that a normal student will undergo 12 years of lessons taught by largely liberal teachers, four more years of education by an even more ideologically focused group, and finally in graduate school have a 98% chance that the professor teaching law is a progressive.
It is a testimony to the pervasive ideas of conservatism, and the bankrupt ideology and incompetence of the Obama administration that he did not win by more. This is the challenge we face. Forget the changing demographics or the possibility of immigrants that could vote for the Democrats. Outside of the home it is nearly impossible for a person from the age of 5 through 25 to find sympathetic hearings for Conservative beliefs and values. This lawsuit represents a fine beginning to bring back balance to the academy and Ms. Wagner should be applauded and supported.