Former Symbionese Liberation Army Member Kilgore Won't Teach At UI; AAUP, Some Faculty Protest

[Purveyor]

CHAMPAIGN — Former Symbionese Liberation Army member and now local social justice advocate James Kilgore will no longer teach at the University of Illinois, The News-Gazette has learned.

Campus officials reportedly informed Kilgore, a Global Studies lecturer and part-time staff member with the Center for African Studies, they would not renew his contract for the coming academic year. His contract ends Aug. 15.

Kilgore did not immediately respond to a phone call and campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler declined to discuss details.

"It's a personnel matter," she said.

Kilgore's supporters are sharply criticizing the administration's decision, saying it was made in response to political pressure and not based on the academic's performance. Today the American Association of University Professors, the national group that defends academic freedom cases, sent a letter to Chancellor Phyllis Wise outlining concerns about Kilgore's nonreappointment. Associate secretary Anita Levy said she was "troubled" by the sequence of events.

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http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2014-04-22/kilgore-wont-teach-ui-aaup-some-faculty-protest.html

[agbdf]

1. James Kilgore is a convicted murderer

Kilgore just got out of prison not that long ago and killed a woman during a 1975 bank robbery. The SLA was a terrorist organization and he has no place at any university that receives public funding.

[mike_c]

3. what do any of those circumstances have to do with his academic credentials?

I ask that question as a tenured university professor. We don't recruit faculty based on good citizenship-- we recruit based on academic prowess and demonstrated accomplishment in their respective disciplines.

I'm not familiar with this particular case, i.e. on what qualifications Kilgore was hired, but if he is academically qualified-- presumably so, since he was hired-- and has performed satisfactorily as a lecturer, what relevance does his former life have in this situation?

[agbdf]

4. You're probably serious

So, I will treat tour question as though you really are sincere.

Public employees who are convicted of felonies (forget about serious stuff like murder and robbing banks) lose there jobs for the same reason felons forgo other public benefits: Because felonies and particularly ones involving armed robbery and murder are bad. You see, government institutions and private companies screen people for possible criminal history because they don't want to hire dishonest or potentially violent people.

You see, Mr Kilgore fudged a few facts on his resume and wasn't exactly forthcoming with all his personal information when he applied for the job because, you know, he sort of understands, himself, that most places are reluctant to hire murderous domestic terrorists. Something you seem to view as an unfortunate discriminatory practice. After all, why shouldn't we hire these poor unfortunates who only made a few innocent mistakes.

I, therefore, nominate Charles Manson to a university professorship in the abnormal psychology department. David Berkowitz, a/k/a Son of Sam, can become a lecturer on our criminal justice system and ex con David Duke can head up the African Studies Department at university near you.
Although these fine fellows aren't academically qualified for the positions that I sarcastically nominated them for, even if the were, they shouldn't get the job because they have shown serious character deficiencies and a propensity toward violence.

Oh, what's that you say? Character issues shouldn't matter when it comes to employment? Really? Should a white supremacist be hired to teach anywhere - even if he holds a PhD from Harvard?

Of course not! The issue relates to character and fitness.

You see man, that's why we don't allow ex felons and murderous terrorists to become Doctors, lawyers, accountants, public office holders, or K-12 teachers as well as most other respectable trades and professions.

However, I sense the issue you have here is not really about character and fitness. The guy was a Marxist, revolutionary, terrorist murderous scumbag piece of shit and because you dig his fringe whacked out
political views, you think the cat should be able to teach despite murdering innocent people including a young mother at a bank he was robbing who he killed just for the fun of it.

Still scratching your head over this whole character and ethics thing and why society has the unmitigated audacity to discriminate against murderers and violent felons?

You see man, if we as a society, didn't do this, those offenses would mean less and the grievous wrongs done to their victims would be cheapened and become not so grievous anymore. This, in turn, would embolden more people to act likewise or lead to there being more twisted people like you who choose not to "judge" those who commit these terrible crimes. In the end life would be devalued to say nothing of law and order.

Can you dig it bro? Dude? Is it cool?

Peace!

[exboyfil]

2. You have to wonder about our country

Folks engaged in a bank robbery that shoot someone serve less time by more than half than a woman who sold a small amount of meth.

I personally think an former convicts deserve the right to make a living so long as their presence is not a risk to society (for example a pedophile should not teach and an embezzler should not handle money), but would the academics be so quick to protect someone who was involved in a similar circumstance that did not have leftist leanings?