Sociology professor Howard Finkelstein from Brookdale Community College in New Jersey has sparked an investigation after being accused of targeting a student who supports President Trump.
Brookdale student Christopher Lyle said the incident occurred in class during a conversation about sexual harassment.
Finkelstein became irritated and slammed his hand on a desk and told Lyle “fu*k your life,” the Asbury Park Press recently reported.
The incident was captured on video by another student, Joey Smith, who described the incident the same as Lyle did.
Watch the video here:
Lyle says this isn’t the first encounter with the professor regarding his political beliefs, and he has been harassed by him all semester in Sociology 105, Intercultural Communication: The Person and the Process.
Check out this video of Howard Finkelstein, a liberal professor using profanities directed at a conservative student at the Brookdale Community College in New Jersey: https://t.co/SD8DByUm6i
— Christian Bliven (@ChristianBliven) April 18, 2018
Lyle is a conservative Trump supporter and says that’s why he has been under fire.
The professor would try to engage in controversial questions, singling Lyle out and forcing a response, he said.
Smith said that the professor has made Lyle part of his lesson plan, focusing on him and his reactions even when he is not in class.
“Chris is a part of his lesson plan. He’ll ask Chris a question, then try to convince Chris in front of the class what is right and wrong,” Smith said.
The professor’s awkward behavior is what prompted Smith to start recording the class. Smith said Finkelstein’s fixation on Lyle was part of the reason he started recording the class last week.
He says the professor’s obsession with Lyle is adversely impacting other students.
“I’m paying to get an education and I’m watching him preach to another student. I’m not learning anything there,” Smith said.
Lyle said he has attempted to speak with the professor privately to no avail, and then contacted Finkelstein’s superiors.
His pleas fell on deaf ears until the incident occurred last week.
“I respect people no matter who you are and I expect the same for me. Instead of practicing against being biased, he’s being biased himself,” Lyle said.
Brookdale spokeswoman Avis McMillon said Lyle’s official complaint was received after class on April 11, but the next morning the email was forwarded to the sociology department chairwoman, who reached out to Lyle.
McMillon said she could not comment because of the ongoing investigation. Finkelstein was not immediately available for comment, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Since, the college has issued a public apology to Lyle:
“In a recent class, a faculty member acted in an uncivil manner. We apologize to this student and to all students in the classroom for the way in which this faculty member behaved. The matter remains under investigation by the college’s administration. We are confident that we will reach a conclusion soon and determine an appropriate course of action.”
