THE COLLEGE PURGE – AT 9:51 A.M. ET:  Direct from the Soviet Union, but with an American cast, comes the great college purge.  UCLA, true to its status as a left-wing state-supported California college, is disappearing a professor, clearly for his conservative views.  From College Fix: 

A conservative professor at UCLA wildly popular with students has been terminated after he failed an employment review he claims his department rigged against him in an effort to oust him.

Dean of Social Sciences Laura Gomez told Keith Fink, an attorney and a free speech defender who’s been critical of UCLA for denying students’ free speech rights, in a letter he wouldn’t be appointed as a continuing lecturer. She wrote that Fink’s review found his “teaching does not meet the standard of excellence.” UCLA’s ousting of Fink was first reported by The Daily Wire.

The university’s decision ends a months-long saga between the UCLA administration and Fink, who said his superiors blocked students from taking his free speech courses and put him through a “star chamber” review process because they don’t like his right-of-center politics.

In a statement to The College Fix, Fink’s teaching assistant Andrew Litt said “this outcome is entirely politically-motivated” by Fink’s superiors and others at the university “who do not like his message on issues [such] as free speech and due process which UCLA routinely flout.”

“His termination is an injustice to the students and the taxpayers of the state, a threat to all teachers and academic freedom and a slap in the face to the notion of due process and fundamental fairness. He will not give up the fight here based on principle,” Litt continued.

 A spokesman with UCLA told The College Fix via email Wednesday that Fink will no longer be a lecturer at the institution as of June 30, and the communications department “has thanked Mr. Fink for his service and has wished him well in the future.” He said the university couldn’t comment further on the review because it’s a personnel matter.

COMMENT:  Where do students fit in?  They don't, unless they're students willing to go along with the leftist order.  But Mr. Fink's popularity shows that there are plenty of students who'd like an alternative.  I hope they're allowed to stay.

June 30,  2017