The Persecution of Professor Thomas Klocek

Gates of Vienna has an update on the status of Professor Thomas Klocek, sacked from his post at a Catholic university for disagreeing with some Muslim students over issues relating to 'Palestine'.

His case is yet another worrying nail in the coffin of free speech, this time in the USA. After four years, a judge has ruled that his case for wrongful dismissal should be dismissed.

Here's the full story:

John Ruberry of Marathon Pundit sent us an update on an old, sad story. What with today being Good Friday and all, this ongoing public crucifixion of an innocent man by a Catholic university resonates especially:

On September 15, 2004, longtime DePaul University adjunct Professor Thomas Klocek took part in a spirited out-of-classroom discussion with some Muslim DePaul students over Palestinian-Israeli political issues. Klocek defended Israeli actions against terrorists; the students, unaccustomed to having their views challenged, complained to his dean and succeeded in having Klocek dismissed from the Catholic college after 15 years of service.

The Chicago native had always received high evaluation scores from his students.

Klocek filed a defamation and invasion of privacy suit against DePaul a year later. The first two judges assigned to the case ruled that it should proceed to trial. But last month--four years after Klocek sued--Cook County Circuit Court Judge Charles Winkler dismissed the case.

We did at least one post on this story back in 2006. It seems so long ago — it is so long ago. It is disturbing that this man’s torture by the “justice” system still continues four years after the incident. But that’s what happens when you’re fighting against the bottomless pockets of CAIR/Saudi Arabia. For Wahhabists, victory always trumps justice.

Back then I quoted from FIRE, ChronWatch, Front Page, and the American Thinker.Here’s a partial digest of the professor’s torment I snipped from the American Thinker for my original post:

… Klocek, who is Catholic, not Jewish, confronted a group of 8 students manning two tables for the groups Students for Justice in Palestine, and United Muslims Moving Ahead. Klocek says he argued that the materials the groups were disseminating were one-sided. On this, he is indisputably correct. Neither group pretends to provide balanced information on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. That of course, is perfectly understandable and acceptable. These are advocacy groups.

[…]During his cafeteria confrontation with the students, Klocek did not identify himself as a professor at the school. He did not know any of the students, and had not had any of them in a class. After realizing that the argument needed to end, Klocek started to walk off. One student then asked if he taught at DePaul, and if so, what classes. The students followed Klocek, eager to continue arguing with him. He signaled he was done with the debate by thumbing his chin, meant to indicate, he says, enough already. The Muslim students later claimed this gesture was obscene.

For his behavior in this brief debate with the students, Klocek, a popular long-time DePaul professor, has lost his job, his health benefits, and has been smeared and humiliated by the University administration.It has gotten so bad that Klocek has even been told not to pray at the campus chapel, which he formerly did regularly during his DePaul teaching stint. Such is the retribution of a Catholic University for a [Catholic] professor who has taken the risk of challenging the established mindset at DePaul on the subject of Israel and the Palestinians.

Isn't it terrifying that a group of Muslim immigrants with an agenda can do this to a respected, respectable man?

The information given out in favour of the 'Palestinian' cause often is grotesquely one-sided and packed with lies and emotive half-truths. This is particularly true at universities, were many students are more interested in shouting people down than debating.

What worries me more is the idea that one doesn't have to win a debate through facts, reason and logic anymore - simply silencing or destroying your oppoent personally or professionnally will suffice.

That such a flagrant abuse can be ignored by a court in a free society is a true travesty.