"Kelli Alvarez, an assistant teaching professor focused on race and ethnicity in literature and film, allegedly encouraged students to miss her English composition class to attend a protest in support of Mel Curth, a graduate teaching assistant in the psychology department who was removed from teaching after a student filed a religious discrimination complaint against her. Alvarez said she would excuse the absences of students who attended the protest. But according to university officials, she did not extend the same offer to students who intended to miss class that day to "express a counter-viewpoint.""
"Immediately upon learning of the situation, the Director of First-Year Composition told students in class today and by email that the lecturer's actions were inappropriate and wrong, and that the university classroom exists to teach students how to think, not what to think. The Director further stated that any student, regardless of viewpoint, would be excused if absent from class today to attend the protest without penalty, and that the lecturer had been replaced, effective immediately, for the remainder of the semester," officials wrote in a statement Friday."
"Classroom instructors have a special obligation to ensure that the classroom is never used to grant preferential treatment based on personal political beliefs, nor to pressure students to adopt particular political or ideological views."
Kelli Alvarez, an assistant teaching professor in race and ethnicity in literature and film, allegedly encouraged students to miss English composition to attend a protest supporting Mel Curth, a graduate teaching assistant removed from teaching after a religious discrimination complaint. Alvarez said she would excuse absences for protest attendees. University officials say she did not offer the same excuse to students intending to miss class to express a counter-viewpoint. The Director of First-Year Composition called the actions inappropriate, said any student would be excused regardless of viewpoint, and reported that Alvarez was replaced for the semester. A campus Turning Point USA X post referenced the class and the chapter president.
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