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October 28, 2011
Update on Julio Pino Outburst
As we noted yesterday, a Kent State University associate professor of history shouted “death to Israel�? at an on-campus event co-sponsored by several recognized student groups and CAMERA.
This outburst of hate speech by Professor Julio Pino, which employs violent language, puts student supporters of Israel, and especially Israeli students enrolled at KSU, in the untenable position of feeling unsafe in the classroom.
Moreover, the professor violated several provisions of the university’s Employee Code of Conduct.
Although the director of university media relations responded dismissively to complaints about the incident, KSU President Lester A. Lefton later released a statement criticizing Pino’s actions. “I find his words deplorable, and his behavior deeply troubling,�? he said. Pino’s call “for the destruction of the state from which our guest comes (as do some of our students, faculty and community members) is a grotesque failure�? to model university values, Lefton added.
This is a good first step. However, Lefton did not mention the professor’s violations of university policies, including those requiring all employees to
• “maintain a professional demeanor�?;
• “exhibit a high degree of maturity and self-respect and foster an appreciation for other cultures, one's own cultural background, as well as the cultural matrix from which Kent state university exists�?;
• “demonstrate respect for all campus and external community members�?;
• “respect the differences in people, ideas, and opinions�?;
• not “threaten, accost, demean�? or use “abusive language�?;
A KSU document on “Conduct and Discipline�? likewise maintains that “Employees should be aware that the university does not tolerate certain acts and behaviors which are unproductive and detrimental to the university,�? including immoral conduct, discourteous treatment of the public, and any other failure of good behavior.
Professor Pino also distributed literature calling for the boycott of the State of Israel, in apparent violation of a university policy restricting such solicitation to “a non-work area.�?
KSU has in place disciplinary procedures meant to deter employees from violating university policies. These procedures should be implemented in response to Professor Pino’s grave violation of policies and student rights.
In a statement to Ha’aretz, he asserted: “What I spoke was for the sake of the children of Palestine, and no other reason. The only politics I have are, 'There is no God but God, and Mohammed is His Messenger.' Peace be upon you.�? The statement seems to express that he stands by his comments unrepentantly, and believes he has a right to disregard university policy, and students' sense of safety, in favor of his own political beliefs.
Posted by at October 28, 2011 02:59 PM
Comments
HE wants to boycott Israel but companies and individuals are going to be asked to stop supporting a racist Kent State. Letters are being written now.
Posted by: Jew Boy at October 28, 2011 09:10 PM
"In a statement to Ha’aretz, he asserted: “What I spoke was for the sake of the children of Palestine, and no other reason. The only politics I have are, 'There is no God but God, and Mohammed is His Messenger.' Peace be upon you.�?"
His statement also means that the Professor believes that his religion Islam is above the law and presumably above facts, truth and the rule of evidence.
How can a man who does not believe in truth be a University Professor?
Posted by: Anonymous at October 28, 2011 10:26 PM
Just a small translation issue, what Pino told Ha’aretz was actually "There is no god but Alla," etc...
stating this verse, which is a fundamental part of Muslim prayer, as a response, delivers an uneasy feeling about the degree of tolerance Pino has for human beings...
Posted by: Ha’aretz reader at October 29, 2011 01:26 AM
Very dismayed by Kent State. The administration abets a abhorrent form of lopsided rascist views. Kent State is not academic It is pseudo academic. To advocate death of a nation as a solution well he should not be allowed to buy any Israeli products and that means computers with Israeli developed computer chips
Posted by: Oso at October 29, 2011 09:46 PM
Yet another case of pathetic PC tolerance.
The rules for the likes of Mr. Pino should be "Play by the rules or get out".
A university is not a platform for one's religious beliefs, for one's hate speech or for one's politics.
It is a professor's job to teach and research; anything else should be done on his own time and his own property.
Posted by: Mikizo at October 31, 2011 07:27 AM
I hope Kent State officials don't write Pinos rants off as officials in the Army did of Maj. Hasan of Ft. Hood infamy.
Posted by: Edward at November 1, 2011 06:37 AM
I am in Ohio and will encourage my kids to not enroll at KSU
Posted by: Anonymous at November 2, 2011 05:58 PM
I am in Professor Pino's history class, and I was truly shocked when this story came out. He talks about Islam every once and a while, but never is advocating it. Also, he never discredits the Jewish faith or Israel in class, so this came as a surprise for me.
Posted by: Cody at November 27, 2011 02:41 PM
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