The phrase, taken from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s “The Gay Science,” is followed by the words, “God remains dead. And we have killed him.” By no means is this the first time Nietzsche’s words have created a firestorm. At least as early as the 1960s, students and teachers have used his words to provoke thought.
Kerry Laird, a first-year literature and composition instructor, last month posted the philosopher’s words in German: “Gott ist tot.” College administrators asked him to remove it, saying it had “the potential of creating a hostile or intimidating learning/work environment.”
Laird said he put up the German phrase after he removed a cartoon from his door showing Smokey Bear, a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout that read “Kids - don’t (an expletive beginning with the letter “f”) with God or bears will eat you.”
Laird said he received a complaint about the cartoon and removed two of the four letters from the word in an attempt to keep it up without offending anyone. However, Laird said, the cartoon was ripped from his door when he was out of his office. He decided to put in its place the quote and a bear crossing sign.
He was eventually asked to remove the German phrase via e-mail from Lesley B. Keeling-Olson, TC’s interim director of the liberal arts, who forwarded a message from Mark Smith, TC’s interim vice president of education services. Smith reportedly received an e-mail from a student complaining about the phrase.
“I was kind of exasperated after I was asked to remove the phrase,” said Laird. “I was like ‘OK, fine,’ but it was clearly a violation of my freedom of speech rights.”
The e-mail from Keeling-Olsen said:
“Simply posting a cartoon or note on a door that can be considered offensive, insightful, and/or controversial is not a part of academic freedom and does not reflect well on Temple College and has the potential of creating a hostile or intimidating learning/work environment.”
Laird said he spoke privately with TC officials, and he believed that if he had left either the phrase or the cartoon on his door, he would be risking his job for the 2009-10 academic year.
“I thought the first cartoon was humorous,” said Laird, who said it mocked a story in the Old Testament. “I’m use to being a part of academic institutions where professors put a number of things up on their doors and in their rooms.”
Laird eventually went to the media to “resolve the issue in public.” Inside Higher Ed, an online news outlet, picked up on the story.
Within its article, a student e-mail defending Laird maintains that TC permits numerous instructors to have “pro-religion” statements or images on their doors.
Laird said he also filed a written complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union.
On Wednesday, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education sent a letter to TC president Dr. Glenda Barron defending Laird, saying the organization, based in Philadelphia, is “concerned about the threat to freedom of expression posed by Temple College.”
The letter from the foundation states that “ordering Laird to remove his posted material while allowing other professors to maintain their own is a blatant, unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.” The letter cites e-mails between TC officials and Laird, as well as lawsuits filed by instructors at other colleges over similar freedom of speech issues.
Something Laird did apparently worked in his favor. Late Wednesday afternoon, TC released a statement saying: “Recently the administration required the removal of a cartoon and a Nietzsche statement from the door of a faculty member. We have reviewed the Temple College policies and believe that the action was inappropriate. All that should have been required was the deleting of the obscenity from the cartoon caption. We have notified the faculty member and regret any inconvenience this may have caused that person. This matter will not in any way adversely affect the faculty member involved. We are pleased this matter has been resolved in accordance with the traditions and values of Temple College.”
