A Siena College professor quit her school’s committee on civil discourse because the simple thought of working with conservative college students was “making [her] miserable.” This sentiment was shared by Siena College philosophy professor Jennifer McErlean in an email to an alumnus and a current Siena College student who leads the conservative Turning Point USA chapter on campus.
McErlean copied Siena’s Turning Point USA chapter president, Antonio Bianchi, in the email between herself and a university alumnus, pointing out that dealing with conservative students is no longer tolerable in “civil discourse.” In leaving the committee, McErlean bragged that she is now free to protest the upcoming “Let Freedom Ring” event, hosted by TPUSA with speakers including Roger Stone and James O’Keefe.
In the email obtained by Campus Reform, McErlean also referenced an “Insulting, false, provocative” letter written in the Promethean, Siena’s student newspaper. Columnist and student Nicole Commisso penned an op-ed entitled “White Privilege: Injustice Does Not Fix Injustice.” Commisso strongly disagreed with the concept that she, a white woman, must acknowledge that accomplishments and tasks are made easier for her because of her race. She wrote of her struggling childhood with a single mother who worked hard for everything the family had, just to put food on the table. Yet through all that, she would never identify as a victim.
The alumnus on the email exchange, Daniel Sleasman, class of ‘68, previously wrote a letter to the Promethean where he emphasized the importance of free and protected speech on all sides of an issue on college campuses, but went on to accuse Turning Point USA of failing to provide any educational value to its event besides being provocative. He also accused the group of being funded by dark money.
Bianchi told Red Alert Politics that he emailed Sleasman, explaining that conservative students at Siena have been offered public safety escorts after receiving threats for their views, and that Turning Point USA’s meetings are patrolled by public safety officers. He asked Sleasman if that is something he should also be concerned about. Sleasman then forwarded this conversation to McErlean, which got the ball rolling.
McErlean is a faculty adviser for the Latinos Unificando Nuestra America club and a founding member of the Gay/Straight alliance. Ironically, her page specifically highlights her dedication to “the ideals of Franciscan service and community-building” and “Siena’s emphasis on teaching and encouraging close relationships between faculty and students.” It would not appear that decrying conservative students as ridiculous and such conservative organizations as “evil” — as her email said — would, in fact, unite students and faculty under a welcoming umbrella.
