Admitted Nazi Dismissed From College Teaching Post

Jacques Pluss, age 51, admits that he is a member of a pro-Nazi group, the National Socialist Movement. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Pluss has been dismissed from his job as an adjunct professor at New Jersey's Fairleigh Dickinson University.

As an adjunct professor, Pluss was not tenured.

Pluss has taught at Fairleigh since 2002. This semester, he was teaching a course in the History of Western Civilization. On Monday, the college informed him that he was being replaced. Pluss will continue drawing his salary through the end of the school year.

Pluss claims that he is being unfairly targeted for his political views:

"What I suspect is somebody on campus discovered I crossed the line of political correctness."

The school, however, disagrees and says that Pluss had a problem with excessive absenteeism:

University officials said Pluss was dismissed for missing too many days of a class, but Pluss said each of his three absences was excused with a doctor's note.

John Snyder, dean of Fairleigh Dickinson's University College, said that Pluss was replaced because he had missed four or five days this semester and would not be allowed to return.

Concerning Pluss's political views, Dean Snyder had this to say:

"It's not politics, it's hate mongering," Snyder said. "It's just hatred directed at the very students he taught."

The Chronicle goes on to say that Pluss joined the National Socialist Movement in February but was careful to keep his views a secret on campus.

Apparently, Pluss was a tenured professor at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., from 1984 to 2000. The newspaper did not indicate why he was no longer at that position.

Additional Coverage: Over at Inside Higher Ed., they have an exclusive interview with Jacques Pluss. Fairleigh Dickinson's student newspaper is called The Equinox. The paper has comprehensive coverage of the story as well as some interesting student reactions to the news of Pluss's dismissal. --------------------------An Invitation: All writers and readers of education-related posts are invited to contribute to the ninth edition of The Carnival of Education. Please send your submissions to: owlshome [at] earthlink [dot] net. We should receive your contributions no later than 10:00 PM (Pacific) Tonight, April 5, 2005. The Carnival midway will open here at the 'Wonks Wednesday morning. Get the easy-to-follow entry guidelines here. View the latest edition of the Carnival there.

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