A faculty member at New York State's largest public university was arrested yesterday, espousing a very peculiar interpretation of the First Amendment.  Laura E. Curry, an adjunct instructor of media studies, was incensed at a display erected by Students for Life in a space reserved for free speech. As first reported by Creative Minority Report:

A University of Buffalo (SUNY) professor was arrested for screaming obscenities at an administration approved graphic pro-life display. While cursing profusely, she accused the pro-lifers of being "profane."

The video...shows the arrest along with the professor cursing and finally yelling out to surrounding students to tell her 1 p.m. class that she wouldn't be able to teach that day because she was being taken away in handcuffs.

This woman was so out of control that she forgot her obligation to students and couldn't rein in her anger and hatred.  Here we have someone obviously sophisticated enough in the expressing of thoughts through the media to be given the high honor of teaching college students about media. So how could she think that this sort of behavior is not just acceptable, but so urgent that it outweighs the most basic professional responsibility, showing up to teach?

Laura E. Curry may be unusual in her lack of self-control, but can one say that her hostility toward one side of an important national debate is unusual on campus? I fear that it is an example of the intolerance of many conservative views in academia, a product of the left's takeover, implementing Antonio Gramsci's strategy for peaceful revolution by infiltrating and seizing the commanding heights of the culture. Political correctness, defining viewpoints that cannot be expressed, is an expression of this takeover. If some views should not be expressed, then the logical conclusion is that harassing people who express them is an obligation.  

This is an example of Campus Derangement Syndrome, as a culture seriously at odds with mainstream America has taken over higher education.

So what will happen to Ms. Curry? She is on one of the lower rungs of the academic hierarchy. No tenure there. CMR contacted John DellaContrada, Assistant Vice President for Media Relations who offered this:

Laura Curry was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

This was a display by a student club, the UB Students for Life. Student organizations are allowed to reserve space on campus for purposes of free expression.

The University at Buffalo strives to create an environment in which diverse opinions can be expressed and heard. As a public university, it is a fundamental value of UB that all members of the campus community and their invited guests have a right to peacefully express their views and opinions, regardless of whether others may disagree with those expressions. This includes the right of protesters to oppose the views or opinions of others, but not in such a way as to limit or prevent the speaker's freedom of expression or interfere with university operations.

It is a serious matter, the selection of people placed before college students as their teachers and role models. Taxpayers of New York have been chipping in for Laura E. Curry's salary. SUNY Buffalo has the largest endowment and reserach funding of any state university in New York, and is the largest public university in the Northeast United States.

Hat tips: The Right Scoop, Mediaite