Controversy Over Assassination Seminar

As chair of the department at Saddleback College that includes the discipline of history, I ask this opportunity to emphasize something that may not be clear to your readers about trustee Steven Frogue’s seminar on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but is important to the reputation of the department and the college.

“Non-credit community education” courses such as this are completely outside the jurisdiction of the academic faculty. Community education courses are in no way reviewed or sanctioned by the curriculum committee of the Academic Senate. No one on the faculty had the authority to review or challenge this course (or its $5,000 speaker budget, which is thousands beyond that available to any academic course--or even entire program--at the college).

In short, while the community education department has for many years provided the community with a plethora of fine offerings, those offerings are in no way related to the academic programs at the college.

ALANNAH ORRISON PhD

Chair, Social Science Department

Saddleback College

Re “Colleges Should Stay Miles Away From Bigotry,” editorial, Aug. 22: As a Times reader for almost 20 years I never believed that this paper, of all institutions, would write against freedom of speech in academia or anywhere. Your readers will need assurance that this editorial was a slip-up, a goof. Otherwise we conclude that The Times really only supports freedom of speech when it is by and for the benefits of the majority or a very major section of the populace.

Until now the only limits on speech were no crying “Fire!” in a crowded place and we have lived with the “Anarchist’s Cookbook” and various bomb-making instruction books. Where is the ACLU when we really need it?

JOHN D. ANDREWS

Palos Verdes Peninsula

It was appalling to read that Frogue is also a high school teacher. When I think of all those young impressionable minds hearing Frogue’s spew with the apparent tacit approval of the high school principal and school board, it is rather frightening.

The Holocaust occurred because anti-Semites were able to spread their hate-filled accusations and make the Jews scapegoats with the backing of the government. The approval of the German government gave legitimacy to the bigots.

The Times should be commended for taking a moral and empathetic stand.

RICHARD F. SEONE

Century City