Widener law professor may lose job over classroom exercises
An associate professor at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington may lose his job following accusations that he used hypothetical examples of the dean's violent death as part of classroom exercises.
An associate professor at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington may lose his job following accusations that he used hypothetical examples of the dean's violent death as part of classroom exercises.
Lawrence J. Connell, a tenured professor, is accused of using examples that describe dean Linda L. Ammons' shooting death at least ten times in classes on murder and criminal procedure, said Thomas S. Neuberger, Connell's attorney.
Connell, 58, described himself as the hypothetical shooter in the classroom examples, Neuberger said.
Connell, who is white, is also accused of two other incidents that university officials say appear to establish a pattern of racist and sexist statements and using violent scenarios that demean and threaten colleagues, according to a letter to Connell from J. Patrick Kelly, vice dean of the law school. The most recent incident involves Ammons, who is black.
If true, the allegations "may violate" school code and professional standards for tenure, the letter said.
Neuberger denied the accusations and explained that the "absurd" hypotheticals were a teaching device.
"Instead of saying Plaintiff A or Defendant B, teachers use names that will grab the attention of students, wake them up from their distractions and make things memorable," Neuberger said.
The actions of the university violate Connell's academic freedom, Neuberger said.
Connell, who has been on the faculty for 26 years, is on administrative leave and is barred from the campus.
Dan Hanson, a university spokesman, declined to comment on the matter, citing the school's policy of confidentiality in personnel matters.
Connell was notified of the accusations at a meeting with Kelly in December, Neuberger said. The allegations of using violent hypotheticals were officially made by two students, Neuberger said.
In addition to the hypotheticals, Connell is accused of making inappropriate remarks about a female student's appearance in 1996.
Neuberger denied the allegations.
He suggested that Connell is being targeted for his conservative views in a case he describes as awash in political-correctness.
The school is preparing to file official charges against Connell, which then would be reviewed by a faculty panel, Neuberger said.
University officials had earlier offered to permit Connell to return to class if he admitted that he "was engaging in racist, sexist statements," Neuberger said. Connell declined.
In a letter to vice dean Kelly, Connell said, "It is contrary to every fiber of my being to mistreat any person because of the color of his or her skin."
As an example, Connell used his 15-year effort to save the life of James Riley, a black man who had been sentenced to die after he was convicted of murder by an all-white jury. Riley was granted a new trial after judges ruled that blacks had been improperly kept off the jury. Riley was later sentenced to life in prison.