Students of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh criminal justice professor Stephen Richards gave their teacher some real world experience this semester.  The pro-union Richards used his position at the university to lobby his students to sign a recall petition against State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) this past March. 

According to the Appleton Post Crescent one of Richards’ students recorded him while he lectured his class on the impact that Governor Walker’s budget repair bill would have on public sector union employees like himself.  In addition to his politically charged diatribe, Richards encouraged his students to sign a recall petition and even was caught on tape encouraging a student to sign the petition even though she lived in another district. 

Senator Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) heard the recording Tuesday morning when it was aired during Charlie Sykes radio show on WTMJ in Milwaukee.  Ellis remarked “This is a guy who teaches a criminal justice class and then encourages a student to break the code?  That is mind boggling.” 

The Oshkosh Northwestern reports:

UWO Chancellor Richard Wells issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying that the issue was investigated after students complained, and corrective action was taken by the end of March.  Students have since reported classroom conditions improved according to the statement.

UWO did not specify what sort of corrective action was taken, but Senator Hopper who was the target of Professor Richards politically motivated classroom activism called for Richards’ resignation.

“People send their kids to school to be educated not indoctrinated, and this professor took state-funded time to make a political stand,” he said.

The silver lining in this story is that the students in Stephen Richards’ criminal justice class did not stand idly by and permit his outrageous behavior to go unchecked.  Those students who rose to the challenge and filed their complaint with the university deserve our thanks for exposing their professor’s political agenda.  A special thanks to the brave young lady who recorded the ugly incident on tape, well done!

Hat tip: Rod Koepke

May 4, 2011

paboehmke@yahoo.com