In the wake of a conservative student recording an unhinged lecture by a radical labor union activist and exposing it, the university has decided to crackdown on cameras in the classroom.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Faculty Senate unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming an existing university policy prohibiting students from recording classroom antics, according to Campus Reform.
The resolution incorporated new language ensuring that cell phone recordings would also be in violation of the policy.
Last month, Campus Reform published a video that had been recorded by UW student and College Republicans leader Kyle Brooks. Brooks recorded a guest lecture by labor activist Eyon Biddle, Sr., a local political organizer for the SEIU, during a freshmen education course. (RELATED: Lecturer: 2010 was all about ‘white rage,’ racism toward Obama, voter suppression, blah blah blah)
Biddle made several controversial statements, and said racism was to blame for conservative opposition to President Obama’s policies.
“The context of 2010 was white rage, to be honest with you,” said Biddle. “White people having to pay for health care for blacks and browns and gays. Racism with the first black president. You saw a bunch of American pie hatred just bubble up. Folks started voting against their own interests. You had white, blue collar males voting for Walker even though Walker’s policies are not for blue collar white males.”
The university did not comment on Biddle’s lecture, except to say that it hoped faculty members would present a fair and balanced perspective to their students.
Nikki Mandell, an associate professor of history, rejected this charge, according to Campus Reform.
“My editorial comment: Faculty need to assert our scholarly expertise and right of academic freedom, as the warning to be ‘fair and balanced’ completely ignored the highly subjective and politicized implication of the phrase ‘fair and balanced’ – am I expected to waste time ‘teaching’ Holocaust denial?” she stated in the email.
UW professors will not waste time teaching Holocaust denialism, conservatism or other fringe philosophies.
The university did not respond to a request for comment.