Kieft dismisses student complaint
by N.S. Garcia
The Metropolitan
Metro’s interim President Ray Kieft has dismissed a student’s
complaint accusing political science professor Oneida Meranto of creating
a hostile atmosphere incapable for conservative students to succeed.
The complaint, filed by first-year Metro student Bill Pierce Aug. 25—the
third day of the Fall semester—claimed Meranto was screaming her
lecture and was unprofessional. Pierce cited her tone and comments on
critical thinking, saying Meranto said only liberals could think critically.
In a letter to Meranto, Kieft said he found no evidence to support those
claims and wrote about her lecture: “Your observations as to the
effect of extremes of ideological thinking on critical analysis were expressed
in a manner which helped students to understand what you meant regarding
critical thinking and analysis … your comments are unquestionably
protected by academic freedom and the First Amendment.”
Meranto said she was pleased with the decision, however, she said she
believes any student who files a claim against a teacher that is later
dismissed should be fined in some way.
“I’m happy; at the same time I’m upset that students
can file frivolous complaints against teachers,” she said.
Last year, two complaints were filed against Meranto. One by then-Auraria
College Republican Chairman George Culpepper, another by Nick Bahl, a
Metro graduate. Their complaints were both dismissed by Kieft.
“I’ve taken the brunt of it all,” she said.
Pierce said he’s standing behind his claims even though he has
no proof to back it up.
“I have no way to prove this,” he said. “I didn’t
know I had to take a tape with me to class.”
Prior to the beginning of the semester, Culpepper posted on a message
forum that he would place people in Meranto’s classes to spy on
her. Both Pierce and Culpepper deny Pierce was a spy.
“If I was a plant, then I’d be the stupidest plant in the
world,” Pierce said.
“This has gotten completely out of hand. Students think they have
this right,” Meranto said. “Professors, now have to second-guess
themselves.”
Pierce believes the tape Meranto submitted of her lecture was some kind
of a fraud. He reviewed the tape and read over a transcript provided by
the college. According to Metro spokeswoman Cathy Lucas, Metro contracted
an outside company to transcribe the tape.
He said among things missing on the tape were comments about her trip
to Cuba and a poster of Che Guevara.
Pierce said he raised those concerns and questioned the length of the
tape to Percy Morehouse, executive director of equal opportunity for Metro.
According to Pierce, Morehouse said he would take his comments into consideration.
There was no mention of Pierce’s comments in Kieft’s letter.
Neither Meranto nor the Metro administration could comment on Pierce’s
questions.
However, Kieft wrote, “I can detect no interruption in the narrative
suggesting that the original tape or the recording was edited. The content
could not be from another class since this was your (Meranto’s)
only section of this particular course this semester.”
But according to the online course guide, Meranto was scheduled to teach
another American National Government 1010 course.
Lucas was unable to clarify whether that class was dropped or if its
listing was an oversight by the administration.
Part of the investigation required interviewing students in the class.
According to the letter, no student could verify or subjectively relate
to Pierce’s complaint.
“No statement in the lecture can fairly be said to suggest that
no Republicans or conservatives are capable of thinking critically, or
that liberals are superior in this respect to conservatives,” Kieft
wrote.
When asked why he filed the complaint and didn’t just drop the
class, Pierce said he believes everyone should be held accountable and
professors have too much power.
Pierce said he will, most likely, leave the campus after next semester.
“I have one semester here and then I’m out of here,”
he said. “I think I’ve hurt my longevity here.”
Reflecting on the past, Meranto said, “I hope the College Republicans
know the kind of damage they’ve done. I’ll survive, but the
school…”
Lucas said whether claims are valid or not, the college investigates
them all.
“We take all complaints through this office very seriously. That’s
the responsibility of this college administration,” she said.
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