Professor Fights Accusations of Discrimination

Article, Chronicle of Higher Education, February 25, 2005;
Pg. 13

A professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas is fighting to clear his name after he received a "letter of instruction" from officials at the University. This letter, which was a reprimand by the university, was placed in Professor Hans Hermann-Hoppe's personal employment file, which the Professor claimed is damaging to his reputation.

The University's reprimand came after a student complained that the professor had made anti-gay remarks in class. In his lectures Mr. Hoppe said that certain groups of people - including small children, very old people, and homosexuals - tend to prefer present-day consumption to long-term investment. Because homosexuals generally do not have children, Mr. Hoppe said, they feel less need to look toward the future.

The student claimed that these remarks did not come from any documented studies or literature in the field, and were based merely on the opinions of the professor. He argued that since he was paying for his education, he had the right to receive peer-reviewed information from his professors, not opinions. The University generally agreed with the student's position, and thus issued the letter to the Professor.

Hemann-Hoppe and many of his colleagues claim that academic freedom within the boundaries of a University should allow professors to express views that conflict with conventional wisdom. This type of debate, they argue, is central to thorough academic analysis.