Florida Professor Bullies Christian Student

Polk State College in Lakeland, Florida

Polk County, FL – A sixteen-year-old, dual-enrolled student, “G.L.,” is the subject of religious intolerance by humanities professor Lance “L.J.” Russum at Polk State College in Lakeland, Florida. Liberty Counsel has asked the dean to investigate the professor and his curriculum.

G.L. and her parents reached out to Liberty Counsel when Russum gave her four straight zeros because she refused to conform to his personal worldviews of Marxism, Atheism, Feminism, and homosexuality. Professor Russum expressed blatant and pervasive anti-Christian bias throughout the class, such as the following essay question: “Why did Christianity, and its male gods, seek to silence these women [the nuns]?”

In other essays where G.L. refused to concede that Christianity was false, violent, or oppressive to women; that Martin Luther’s motivations for the Reformation were wholly secular; and that Michalengelo’s sculptures and paintings communicated that “same-sex relationship is NOT A SIN,” Mr. Russum gave her a total of four straight zeros.

Russum’s classroom behavior is a reflection of his personal biases. Mr. Russum’s Facebook profile pictures include Fidel Castro and Jesus Christ making an obscene gesture. The website “Rate my Professor” shows that G.L. is not the first student to be subjected to the professor’s viewpoint discrimination. His college email signature line includes a quote from a Marxist who praises Lenin, Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, and Adolf Hitler. These, along with the inappropriate course content, show that Professor Russum is seeking to impose his own values on students, in violation of the Constitution.

Liberty Counsel has demanded (1) a full and independent review of Mr. Russum’s behavior and course content; (2) appropriate grading of G.L’s four “zero” assignments by a different professor; (3) a written apology; and (4) assurances that future courses taught by Mr. Russum, if any, will be free from such unlawful discrimination.

“Mr. Russum should not be permitted to use his position to punish students who do not conform to his anti-Christian views,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “G.L.‘s parents asked Polk State College to review this matter, but it refused, so Liberty Counsel is stepping in to help. According to its website, the college’s core values are service, integrity, knowledge, diversity, and leadership. No student should be subjected to such outrageous bias and outright hostility to their values by a professor. Being a professor is not open season to belittle and punish students merely because they do not subscribe to the professor’s radical opinions.”

One Comment:

  1. I encountered the same type of bigotry from some of my liberal professors at Chico State College, in Chico California after reentering college at age 64 just to see what goes on in our colleges now day’s. I was able to speak my piece without worrying about any repercussions and the professors certainly don’t like that because they lose their power and I was able to give the young people in the class a different point of view. Some professors are not used to responding to thoughtful opposing points of view and are incapable of formulating a thoughtful response. I destroyed their agendas simply by countering their arguments and the younger people respected my point of view because I am a man that had already made it in the real world. These closed minded, bigoted, egotistical, arrogant professors can only get away with their diatribe in a liberal college because that’s the only place they could ever get work. They couldn’t survive in the real world. What do they have to contribute to society? What good are they? Who would put up with or pay for their trash?
    Professor Lance Russum of Polk State College in Florida is a stereotypical liberal coward! He should be fired for bullying young people into his point of view. That is a violation of the Colleges sacred trust that parents give to that college when they entrust their children to them. It’s also a violation of the students first amendments freedom of speech rights. College is supposed to be a place where young people go to learn how to think and form their own opinion without being bullied into conforming to the professors point of view. They are not being adequately prepared for life in the real world by being bullied by the likes of professor Russum. The professor has also violated that students freedom of religious beliefs without being penalized for that belief. I’m asking for the college to treat professor Russum the same way he wanted to treat the student. He gets a failing grade and fired. Let’s see how well he does making a living in the real world with his talents. Sincerely, Cordell Cose

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