Dr. Michael Phillips will be the fourth professor that Collin College has decided not to renew its contract with this May over "an ongoing war on the First Amendment and free speech" (Young). Last fall Collin College instructed professors to "remove all details requiring or suggesting face masks/social distancing"; however, Dr. Phillips instead advised his students to "consider the impact of what they do on other people" (Young). After supposedly receiving complaints about Dr. Phillips' comments, Collin College issued an Employee Discipline Form, citing the professor for his "Job Performance/Behavior Deficiency." I interviewed a McKinney ISD Principal and a California Community College Professor to get more perspective on this matter. My first source, an educator for over 20 years and now Principal, believes that "constitutional rights do not stop at the school's doorsteps." Adults have always taught children to be mindful of others and their surroundings from a young age. This source believes it makes no sense for a teacher to have been condemned now because the pandemic is such a political issue. My second source has been a college professor for four years. They bring up an interesting point: there is a higher demand for college graduates who are more "emotionally intelligent and socially aware" in today's workforce. Without any protection of a professor's first amendment right, it is easy for schools to get away with a "thinly veiled attempt to terminate an employee." As a student at Collin College, this does not sit well with me. If professors are being punished for making remarks that promote safety in our community, then Collin Community College is genuinely not a college for the community.
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Morgan Young, Morgan. “Collin College History Professor Says His Contract Won't Be Renewed Because He Encouraged Masks, Spoke out about Racism.” Wfaa.com, WFAA, 12 Feb. 2022, https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/collin-college-professor-says-contract-wont-be-renewed-encouraged-masks-spoke-out-about-racism/287-2b1e276d-8cac-4bfc-8a0e-eb7aab014414.
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