For Syracuse University graduate student Matthew Werenczak, being expelled from the School of Education was the last thing he expected.

Werenczak was prepared to start his last semester of student teaching in September 2011 when he was notified of his expulsion from the school for a complaint he made on his personal Facebook page. He was readmitted into the program Wednesday after nearly five months of absence.

While working as a student teacher at Danforth Middle School, Werenczak and a colleague, both white, overheard a comment made by a black member of the city’s Concerned Citizens Action Program in mid-July. The CCAP member said he wished the school would hire more teachers from historically black colleges, Werenczak said.

Werenczak responded by posting: ‘Just making sure we’re okay with racism. It’s not enough I’m … tutoring in the worst school in the city, I suppose I oughta be black or stay in my own side of town,’ according to an article on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s website, a nonprofit foundation that preserves civil rights, civil liberties and academic freedom on American college campuses.

Although he regrets what he said about the school specifically, Werenczak said he believes he has the right to voice his opinion in a ‘semi-public sphere’ like Facebook.

Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs at SU, said in an email the Facebook post was brought to SU’s attention by another student who expressed concern.

Social Studies Education Coordinator Jeffery Mangram sent Werenczak a letter detailing his expulsion from SU because the School of Education and Danforth Middle School found his comments offensive and unprofessional, according to an article published by FIRE.

Werenczak was then pulled from the student teaching program last fall and told he could only be considered for readmittance after he underwent anger management counseling, completed an additional course and wrote a paper, he said. He was told that after he completed the tasks, his case would be reviewed by a committee, and he would receive a decision before Winter Break.

Though he completed the assignments, the university did not respond to him within the time frame promised, and he worried he would miss another semester. Two weeks ago, he proceeded to contact FIRE to help him push the university to make a decision, he said.

‘Mr. Werenczak came to FIRE because the School of Education had severely violated the free speech and due process rights that Syracuse promises its students, and he wanted to complete his education,’ said Adam Kissel, vice president of programs for FIRE.

Kissel said the university has a terrible history with online student speech and often betrays its promises.

Quinn said in an email: ‘… the matter was handled in accordance with the school’s standard process by a group of the faculty members involved in the program and with the student’s participation and consent.’

School of Education Dean Douglas Biklen said in an email that he could not comment.

FIRE succeeded in raising awareness of the issue and relayed the story so people could see what was happening. On Wednesday, FIRE posted an article on its website detailing the circumstances between Werenczak and the university.

The same day, Werenczak said he received an email from Mangram stating, ‘After thought and deliberation, we have decided to permit you to participate in Student Teaching in the Spring 2012 semester.’

FIRE also wrote a letter to Chancellor Nancy Cantor on Jan. 10 describing SU’s violation of free speech, which the university did not respond to, according to the article.

Werenczak said he is unsure when he will start teaching but predicts he will return by February. He said he believes the pressure from FIRE forced the university to come to a decision.

‘I want people to know what Syracuse tried doing to me, that they tried railroading me out of this program without due process because of my speech and my opinion,’ Werenczak said. ‘Other students should be troubled that this is now two incidences within the same year of Syracuse trying to clamp down on free speech.’

rebarill@syr.edu

Published on January 18, 2012 at 12:00 pm