Hate Speech at Gallaudet University

Carl N. Schroeder

102 Tribbett Court

Dayton, Oregon 97114

cschroeder@clackamas.edu

January 14, 2013

The Honorable Senator Ron Wyden

221 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

                                                                                    Re: Hate Speech at Gallaudet University

Dear Senator Wyden,

Deaf Hate Crime (DHC) is a grassroots watchdog group that identifies hate speech, whether that hate speech be directed directly against Deaf people, or designed to belittle the status of our language, which is American Sign Language (ASL)—our form of speech—here in the United States.  As a former Student Body Government President, Student Congress Speaker, SBG Academic Affairs Director, and 1983 Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Fellow, I am writing this letter with grave concerns about certain incidents of hate speech that are occurring at my alma mater, Gallaudet University, the nation’s only liberal arts university of, by, and for the Deaf in Washington, D.C.  As you know, most of Gallaudet’s budget is provided for by a line-item in the Federal budget, being annually appropriated by acts of Congress.  This letter also requests for a full investigation into the matter of the abusive and oppressive atmosphere at Gallaudet created by the hate-oriented speech.

“Sociology of Deafness and Deaf People” (SOC 225/255) is a course that was offered at Gallaudet University last fall that was taught by Professor Thomas Horejes. One of the clear effects of the course was the attempted inculcation and indoctrination of students toward a philosophy that promulgates hate speech against deaf people.  The course taught (1) that deaf people typically marry with each other without love, (2) that deafness can be best “cured” with cochlear implants, (3) that the statements “I-CANNOT-HEAR” and “I-CANNOT-TALK” imply the nonexistence of American Sign Language, (4) that deaf people are synonymously comparable to black people, and (5) that the students should be labeled gay, bisexual or heterosexual not for reasons of psychological and cultural identity, but instead due to students’ patterns of thought and thought processes.  The First Amendment rights to free speech and expression notwithstanding, these aspects of the class were so unconstitutional, nonacademic and inappropriate as to warrant an investigation: What do we, the Deaf, to quote Barbara Perry in a Native American question, “define as necessary to minimize the impact and the incidences of hate crime?”

Hate speech is a hideous injustice.  Hate speech at Gallaudet University starts with language, and its amelioration is always an uphill battle. The language battle continues there, being waged both in ASL, as well as spoken English and its counterpart, written English, the two-to-one prestige ratio of language infighting. I am copying this letter to various individuals and organizations, and it is our DHC group’s earnest hope that the investigation will result in measures taken to promote mutual respect, a bias-free environment, as well as academic integrity.

Thank you,

Carl N. Schroeder

Deaf Hate Crime Group

 

CC:      Alan Hurwitz, President, Gallaudet University

            Sharon Barnartt, Sociology Department Chair, Gallaudet University

Thomas Horejes, Sociology Department Assistant Professor, Gallaudet University

Angela McCaskill, Chief Diversity, Gallaudet University

Jane Dillehay, University Faculty Chair, Gallaudet University

American Civil Liberties Union

American Sociological Association

Coalition Against Hate Crime

Congress Members

Deaf Hate Crime Group

Gallaudet University Alumni Association

Human Rights Campaign

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

National Association of the Deaf

            National Black Deaf Advocates

            Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf

            Southern Poverty Law Center

Student Body Government

            The Buff & Blue Newspaper

            The Chronicle of Higher Education

            The Washington Post