Petition to Reinstate PCC Professor Mark McQueen
Dear faculty,
Over forty of your colleagues who attended the FA General Meeting on November 14th have signed the petition to reinstate Professor Mark McQueen. For those who were unable to attend, we have created a Change.org petition that is being forwarded via email to all faculty and staff at PCC and is linked below. Please take the time to read it and sign it. This is the moment for all of us to stand united and support our colleague, Mark McQueen, but also to stand up for the rights of ALL faculty and staff at Pasadena City College.
Thank you.
https://www.change.org/petitions/reinstate-pcc-professor-mark-mcqueen
PETITION TO REINSTATE PCC PROFESSOR MARK MCQUEEN
November 12, 2013
On October 31st, Professor Mark McQueen was physically confronted by an irate student. While discussing a pertinent issue in Professor McQueen’s English 1B class, a student stood up with fists clenched and approached Professor McQueen stating “you are a m—– f—–” and “I can kick your a–.” Professor McQueen raised his hand and placed it on the students shoulder in a defensive manner. This action in and of itself diffused the situation. The class continued and subsequently concluded without further incident. Students that witnessed these events stated that the student, at the conclusion of the class, apologized for his actions.
It could be assumed that in any other context, be it a different educational institution, a workplace, or a public setting, Professor McQueen would be commended for his calm and reasonable response to a potentially violent situation. But not at PCC. Professor McQueen was placed on administrative leave pending an “investigation” by the college. This decision was made prior to any discussion of the events with Professor McQueen. This would not have happened in any other context and should not have happened at PCC. All individuals are entitled to due process, fair treatment, and a presumption of reasonable conduct until proven otherwise. These fundamental rights do not become suspended when you walk into your PCC classroom.
We the undersigned faculty in departments campus-wide call for the immediate reinstatement of our colleague Mark Mansfield McQueen, who did nothing wrong and simply defended himself against a potentially violent student. We also demand that the student be referred to Student Services for a consultation to determine his ability to control his temper in a classroom setting. Further, the responsible administrators should publicly apologize for their heavy handed actions toward Professor McQueen.
Professor McQueen has an outstanding reputation as a caring and inspirational teacher. Comments on both school-given and outside evaluations speak to the impact he has had on his students in not only serving as their mentor but also awakening their interest in the Humanities. PCC has a moral obligation to protect Professor McQueen, to respect his rights as a faculty member, and to ensure that the classroom is free of violence and safe for all.