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“Tell them the truth…Why I resigned from TCC.”

UPDATE (12-17-11)

Paul Derengowski, ThM

Well, the Fall semester has officially concluded at Tarrant County College.  My fill-in for the World Religions class managed to hobble the class to the finish line, including both Muslim students, who were never reprimanded or expelled for insubordinate behavior.  Emails have been sent from TCC administration to the students who filed the grievances, that an investigation is ongoing.  Yet, because of all the "details," no one has come to any decisive conclusions.  What is interesting is that the first grievance was filed a month ago today (November 17, 2011), and the timeline according to TCC guidelines is 10 days to resolution.  As of today, December 17, 2011, no one has been interviewed, and yet the administrators want the students and the media to believe that an investigation is taking place.  Maybe the administrators are also selling beachfront property in Nebraska too.

A huge outpouring of support has taken place, though.  I’ve received dozens of emails locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.  Of course, hundreds, if not thousands, of emails and phone calls have been made to the TCC administration as well.  From what I’ve been told, the administration is stonewalling those wanting to know what is going on.  That’s nothing new, given that that is exactly what they’ve been doing all along.  Typical responses from the administration have been “I don’t know” to “TCC is investigating what happened,” again, without ever talking to anyone.  Reports are that all the students in the class will be interviewed, but what decade that might happen, no one really knows.  Since Randa Bedair does not want to be “in the limelight” and Mohamad Khorchid cannot be located, it might be a bit difficult for the administration to actually interview them.  Besides, what good would it do, now that the semester has been ruined, they succeeded in their warped agenda, and have moved on with passing grades?  Surely TCC does not want to face a lawsuit by backtracking and undoing all of its misdeeds to punish the misdeeds of those who caused all the commotion, would they?

After the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ran articles on December 12 and 14, someone decided to take all of my personal information and post it on a Star-Telegram bulletin board.  After having it removed at least twice, the fun-loving defenders of the “religion of peace” turned around and either set up two ads on their own, or gave impetus to someone else to do it from the information they posted, on Craig’s List.  My wife and I received about 40 phones calls, intended to harass, from innocent bystanders, on Tuesday evening, and half-a-dozen people showed up at my house later than evening into Wednesday morning thinking that I was selling exercise equipment.  Now the Fort Worth Police are involved, as they work with Craig’s List to track down the perpetrators.  When caught those guilty of inciting the harassment will also be facing fraud charges, as well as possibly terrorism charges, and a few other not-so-desirable criminal offences, due to the association they have with the TCC situation.  Enjoy your freedom, whoever you are.  For when you are caught, I will be as merciless as you were, when you decided to place my wife and I in danger through your idiotic acts.  The exception will be, I will act prudently and legally, while you acted like a fool and illegally.

Several more interviewers are looking for comments to go along with several interviews already done.  Also, there have been requests to do speaking engagements, but nothing definitive has been lined out.  Probably the best interview thus far was done by Brian Estridge at WBAP, who asked by far the best question in respect to the neutrality issue that TCC administrators wished to force me into abiding by, even though they could not abide by it themselves.  He asked, “Do they do that to political science professors also?”  What a great question!  The point he was making, and one I have been contending for all along, is that no one can be “neutral” about anything.  All so-called “facts” or truth claims start with a presupposition that they are consistent with what is real, but more importantly, that a particular worldview is asserting that they are “facts” or that the truth is being told.  Then the hearer or student, depending on his or her worldview, will take those “facts” and interpret them.  At no time is a “fact” argued or understood without a worldview, meaning that “facts” are “stupid things” without a point of reference, meaning a worldview, to make them meaningful.  Brian’s question is excellent in that political science professors constantly assert things to their students that are taken as “fact,” when the reality is, all they are doing is sharing their worldview or opinion under the guise of being “neutral.”

Finally, several have asked whether I’m seeking to get my job back, as well as, the legal angle.  To the first question I’ll simply restate: I’m not seeking to get my job back.  I have not spoken to anyone at TCC, nor have they contacted me.  TCC has created a dangerous precedent by allowing the students to attack professors, whether verbally or libelously, and then letting them get away with it.  The current environment of prejudicial discrimination, based on religious ideology, does not merit placing oneself back in that environment to possibly have something worse happen.  Previously I had listed three qualifications before I would ever go back to TCC to instruct, but since that time an additional prerequisite is necessary as well.  That prerequisite is that at least three administrators needs to be terminated.  They have not only demonstrated incompetence in mishandling their duties, but they have been careless, as well, in their actions towards the students.  Vice President of Student Development, Rusty Fox, needs to be terminated immediately, along with Vice President of Academic Affairs, Barbara Coan, and Dean of the Humanities, Josue Munoz.  For them to continually blow-off the students and their concerns or to simply keep passing the buck is reckless and irresponsible.  Surely TCC can do better, but will it?

As for legalities, I really cannot get into any specific details.  I will simply say that counsel is looking into this case from a variety of different angles (and there are several).  My hope is the truth will reign and justice served.  A student in the class noted to me recently that both Randa Bedair and Mohamad Khorchid were “high-fiving” each other the day they found out that I had resigned.  May their exuberance be short-lived and full of the same kind of heartache that they have caused several because of their treachery.  May they be unable to hide their identities or their stealth jihad.  May they spend the same kinds of sleepless nights that my wife and I have had to spend recently, as we wonder just which sycophantic idiot will show up and do something stupid.  And may those at TCC foolish enough to be their accomplices to their treachery by failing to act appropriately also share in what is hoped for: an impending grief.  Maybe then they will all find out what I meant by “Tell them the truth,” since obviously now, over a month later, Randa, Mohamad, and the TCC administration still cannot bring themselves to do it.