Dive Summary:
- Citing concerns for his safety, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has placed Deandre Poole, a black communications professor who has received death threats and racially charged messages since a controversial "stomp on Jesus" class assignment, on paid leave.
- The controversy arose from a March 4 class where, as part of an lesson on the impact of words included in the instructor's guide for the class textbook, Poole asked students to write "Jesus" on a piece of paper before throwing it on the floor and stomping on it.
- Concerns about academic freedom have risen among faculty at the school since the incident, as FAU initially defended the assignment before promising not to use it again.
From the article:
... "As a result of the reaction to a recent exercise in Dr. Poole's intercultural communications class, the instructor's personal safety has been compromised," according to a university statement released Friday. "In addition, this decision will prevent further disruption to the day-to-day operations of Florida Atlantic University.'' ...