Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, has rescinded the suspension of a student who secretly recorded a professor’s anti-Trump rant.
Orange Coast College decided to lift the suspension of the student who was disciplined for secretly recording the rant of a professor who claimed that President Trump’s victory in November’s election was “an act of terrorism.”
A statement released by the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees announced the end of 19-year-old Caleb O’Neil’s suspension.
“It is time to move forward with increased empathy and understanding of the differences that have (existed) and will exist on a campus filled with individuals from an array of backgrounds who bring with them a wide range of political views, religious affiliations, and ideals,” the statement read. “This is part of what makes OCC great.”
“I’m so happy right now,” declared O’Neil following the reversal of his suspension. “I’m just happy I can row, and go to school. It’s great news.”
The professor, Olga Perez Stable Cox, was represented by Rob Schneiderman of the Coast Federation of Educators, who claimed that he was “deeply disappointed” that administrators “capitulated to individuals and groups who threatened and bullied students, faculty, and administration.”
“Faculty and students are less likely to explore controversial issues, guest speakers are hesitant to present on campus, and students giving presentations are concerned that they may be cyber-bullied,” Schneiderman wrote.
In an interview with Breitbart News, O’Neil’s attorney Shawn Steel claimed that behavior like that of the OCC professor’s are not uncommon in higher education.
“This has gone on [at] thousands of American campuses and tens of thousands of classrooms,” Steel claimed. “We finally had a smoking gun with the recording of this teacher. She’s been doing this for 30 years and has never been spotlighted like this before.”