You may recall WUWT’s coverage of Nick Drapela, a climate skeptic who was fired from his teaching job at Oregon State University. My friend and fellow climate skeptic, nationally syndicated radio host Lars Larson tips me about this story:
Chemistry instructor challenges job loss
OSU denies stand on climate change was factor
By JOCE DeWITT, Corvallis Gazette-Times
An Oregon State University chemistry instructor whose contract wasn’t renewed by OSU says he still doesn’t know the reasons why and is considering legal action.
Nick Drapela, who has taught at OSU for 10 years, says he was told in late May that he would not be invited back for the coming academic year. Drapela said he suspects OSU’s decision is because he has spoken out against the idea that humans are responsible for climate change.
OSU says there’s no connection.
Steve Clark, OSU’s vice president of university relations and marketing, said he couldn’t discuss specific details about the case, citing confidentiality laws that he said prohibit him from sharing protected employee information.
But, Clark said, OSU does not have an institution-wide policy on climate change. In addition, he said, personal beliefs and activities do not play a role in the conditions of OSU employment.
Clark said Drapela’s contract was among more than 100 such contracts across the university that were not renewed. The reasons why a contract might not be renewed vary, but might include factors such as enrollment shifts reducing the demand for teachers in certain classes.
“The university does not base its policy of hiring upon people’s individual points of view or personal activities,” Clark said. “We base it on budget, upon academic requirements, we base it on performance and their academic qualifications, not their personal point of view.”
Drapela said in an interview with the Gazette-Times that his troubles with OSU began in the 2007-08 academic year, about the same time he went public with his climate-change doubts. He said, for example, that he became the target of untrue statements made in public meetings at OSU. Drapela said he didn’t want to discuss other issues because they might jeopardize any legal case.
Full story at Corvallis Gazette-Times
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OSU has a history of pushing out people who are climate change skeptics, State Climatologist George Taylor, also based at OSU and a prominent skeptic was pushed out of his position there due to disagreement over the climate change issue.
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In any PC-fascist regime, dissent against protected conformity is dangerous. FIRE.org (The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) ought to be contacted, even though this could be a difficult case for them with too many rocks for the enemies of free-thought to hide under. American Traditions Institute, which already has the stomach to combat AGW-fraud, is also a candidate for victims like Drapela.
orson2 has a decent idea with respect to contacting FIRE and ATI. In the event there is actual legal action, the discovery process could be broadened to include those 100 other individuals. Who knows what politically (in)correct remarks were made about this or that adjunct whose contract was not renewed. Perhaps there is a pattern of conduct by officers of the university against the class of individuals whose contracts were not renewed? Important that the discovery process include both official and personal email accounts. Also voice-mail.
Warmists lie about climate and are evasive about open discussion thus when they’re confronted about the the reasons for the firing they again lie and evade telling the truth. They really need to be sued.
Happy 4th of July Anthony and US readers
Wow – just 2 minutes to spare in my time zone!
Happy Glorious 4th of July, my American cousins!
Also the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812!
Better luck next time! 🙂
Regarding the aforementioned War of 1812 between Canada and the USA:
The USA is by far the best neighbour Canada could ever ask for. Canada is now the largest foreign supplier of oil to the USA. We are still, I think, the largest bilateral trading partners in the world.
We have managed to get along and prosper together for over two hundred years, apart from some unpleasantries in 1812, when we burned the White House and the Yanks burned Toronto.
Confidentially, people from all over Canada agree that Toronto ought to be burned from time to time, so we think we got the better of that deal.
Then the Americans thought they would have an easier time with the Quebecois, so they invaded via Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River. The crafty Quebecois challenged them to a hockey game, and then dropped their gloves before the opening face-off and beat the crap out of the unsuspecting Yanks. It`s been a cherished Canadian hockey tradition ever since.
Then there was the Oregon Crisis of 1844-45: “54-40 or Fight!“ The USA is really fortunate that it did not win that one – just imagine the impact on USA politics if you had all the lefties in British Columbia allied with all the lefties in California, Oregon and Washington – you`d have a full blown confluence of intellectual putrescence, a critical mass of Left Coast demagoguery, a catastrophic breach in the firmament, fire and brimstone coming down from the sky, dogs and cats living together… .. kind of like the Obama White House, only ‘way bigger.
Clark says there is a bunch of reasons why contracts are not renewed, surely common decency dictates that Mr. Drapela be told which of that bunch applied to him. I have had to let a lot of people go over the years and its mostly very unpleasant especially in the case of good people, but i have never just said gutlessly to someone, “your finished but i’m not telling you why”.
Clark is vice-president university relations and marketing. Strikes me he’s very good at either.
people from all over Canada agree that Toronto ought to be burned
===========
Burning Toronto would be like putting lipstick on a pig. Couldn’t hurt, but probably wouldn’t improve its looks much.
My sons partner who did a degree at a University on the South Coast here in the UK was very much on the side of the AGW alarmists when she first attended Uni due to her schools somewhat “rabid” acceptance of Gores film. Then when the UK Courts pointed out the 9 inconvenient lies she started to ask questions and so dfindid others on her degree course. But in one subject – unless you slavishly followed the dogma – “they failed you!” – her words. The result was quite the opposite of what was intended. They produced a batch of sceptics due to their overt manipulations. She is now a true sceptic. So this decision is harsh on the individual who loses their job, but to those they teach and who see what is going on – I suspect the lesson of life is one they will not forget.
Allan MacRae;
apart from some unpleasantries in 1812, when we burned the White House
>>>>>>
Alas, you’ve been had.
In American history books, the White House partially burned in 1812.
In Canadian text books, we invaded the United States and partly burned down the White House.
In British text books, the British garrison stationed in Halifax, along with a few recruits pressed into service, marched on Washington and partly burned down the White House.
For all I know, all three version are wrong!
I was let go as a lecturer on translation merely because I bucked the party line in reading materials and asked students to question the sources and information they receive as news. So with so much more at stake, to the extent that one articulate professor’s views could lead to a successful challenge of university orthodoxy, it’s not hard to believe that this professor was given the boot for his stance on global climate warming disruption, or whatever the term is at the moment.
Drapela said that his troubles with OSU began in the 2007-08 academic year, about the same time he went public with his climate-change doubts. He said, for example, that he became the target of untrue statements made in public meetings at OSU.
yeeeeeeeess, it smells. 2007-8 was when Gov. Ted Kulongoski asked the president of Oregon State University to stop George Taylor from calling himself the state climatologist because of Taylor’s skeptical stance on global warming.
And this c**p of accusations that hide the accuser while victimising the accused. I’ve been there, it’s why I took a different name online – to stand outside that particular mess of false accusations.
Drapela said. “This is not something I relish doing, they’re not giving me any options… It has affected my career and reputation irreversibly. People don’t want to hire someone who has been fired and won’t say why. I don’t really have any other recourse.”
He deserves support. And not just for his sake.
It would be poetic justice if OSU, suppressor of Art Robinson’s important list of dissenting scientists, were to become the new rallying-point.
I said
and from last WUWT article on Drapela
Because Robinson fought back, we understand that the OSU administration backed down.
I appreciate the good wishes on the 4th of July from the non-U.S. ilk (humor; ref. recent post on MM tweet) that comment here. The international community that comprises WUWT is one of the reasons WUWT is so informative. It is always interesting to see how the same news item is often perceived differently depending on country or culture.
My thanks to you all.
In California textbooks, Bush did it…
Polistra says
“It was true 50 years ago When They Were fired for being wellness communists, and now it’s true When they’re fired for being wellness non-communists.”
The conclusion is: Better not be anything. At least not lose your job!
Perhaps the amoebae remain forever in their work.
So nobody really knows why Drapela was fired, but people really suspect it has to do with his dissent on climate change. How many other non-tenured professors and instructors are going to self-censor in order to keep their jobs?
So much for the myth of academic freedom, eh?
I like polistra’s idea (July 4, 2012 at 5:17 pm). We need new institutions with integrity from conservation (used to be “environmental” issues, like Sierra Club, National Resources Defense Council, or Nature Conservancy who went marxist/AGW on us) to news media (Fox news just barely, barely makes it; where is investigative journalism rather than “the leftist mantra” with everyone writing the same party line at the exact same moment) to higher education (with the higher education bubble there will be, must be, more and more contract non-renewals or non-renewal of tenured professors. The university usually does not “fire” except for unusual reasons. Unfortunately, these institutions should start reducing their financial obesity with all the additional “administrators” and “special programs” outside of faculty perview, but many of these are related to “grants” and to “lobbying”). In my opinion, universities also should be prohibited from contributing to politics; they are some of the largest contributors to the Democratic Party.
Someone in a non-tenured position is especially vulnerable to “curriculum changes” or “departmental reorganization” — for good reasons. The university must be able to change. The change must be planned and documented. If they did not with respect to Drapela, then a lawsuit might be just the thing. Discovery would be juicy. I hope “conservatives” (in historical terms, these are “liberals” of the classical variety interested in freedom, integrity of institutions, and the free market) would fund the suit.
I grew up in Corvallis, OR and at that time OSU was considered our conservative ag/science university. Less than an hour south is U of O which was our liberal arts college that had aptly been given the nickname of Northern Berkley. Now the only difference is U of O gets tons of money from Phil Knight (Nike) for their sports programs and OSU doesn’t. Guess we should call them Twin Northern Berkley’s.
I do like to listen to Lars Larson when I can and he mentioned not only did OSU not give a reason for letting Drapela go, they were advertising to hire more chemistry professors. So they were not planning to downsize the department for lack of interested students.
“Allan MacRae says: July 4, 2012 at 11:04 pm” Dude!
Thank you Allan for the best smile of the day!
That is absolutely key! Unless the University can now come up with some solid metrics for why Drapela’s contract was not renewed, they could find themselves in the hurt locker right quick.
lan MacRae says:
July 4, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Regarding the aforementioned War of 1812 between Canada and the USA:
The USA is by far the best neighbour Canada could ever ask for…..
Confidentially, people from all over Canada agree that Toronto ought to be burned from time to time, so we think we got the better of that deal….
__________________________________________
And you think we don’t want DC burned from time to time too? A dose of reality is always good for politicians and ivory tower academia.
Wasn’t it Jefferson who told of the perils of trusting courts?
ferdberple says:
July 4, 2012 at 11:43 pm
people from all over Canada agree that Toronto ought to be burned
===========
Burning Toronto would be like putting lipstick on a pig. Couldn’t hurt, but probably wouldn’t improve its looks much.
Keep your head down, like I do. City? What city?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/ravines-a-defining-aspect-of-toronto/article579001/
A case of good government implementations, post Hazel.
http://glendon.irisyorku.ca/a-campus-in-a-garden-with-a-forest/the-glendon-forest-and-the-don-river-ravine-system/the-origin-of-the-glendon-forest/