Washington State Shitbags

At Washington State University, the College Republicans are trying to get a professor fired for criticizing them. On Nov. 2, they built a symbolic 24-foot-long fence on campus to show their support for a building a fence along the Mexico border. Assistant professor John Streamas got into an argument with one of the students, and called him a "white shit-bag."

A Washington State University report declared, "The precise definition of the word `shit-bag' is unclear, but complainant and respondent agree that it is a derogatory term." Wisely, however, the report concluded that such a comment by itself did not constitute harassment, discrimination, or intimidation, although the report called it "immature, intellectually unsophisticated and thoughtless."

University President V. Lane Rawlins declared that although Streamas would not be fired, he would be reprimanded. But why should professors even be reprimanded for saying offensive things to students outside of class? Why should rude behavior be regarded as a punishable offense?