BELLVILLE — A North Central State College instructor has been removed from teaching a College Credit Plus course at Clear Fork High School after posts on social media sparked attention.
A letter sent by Clear Fork High School Principal Jennifer Klaus on Sept. 17 to district students and parents/guardians said the district decided to conclude the English Composition I CCP course offered at the high school during the first semester.
The letter then stated students enrolled in that course, “will be withdrawn from the current section and automatically re-enrolled in the same course for the B Session,” set to begin Oct. 13.
“The course will be taught by a different instructor but will remain scheduled during the same time your student is currently enrolled,” the letter said.
In Ohio schools, CCP is a dual enrollment program, allowing students to earn both college and high school credits by taking college-level courses at participating Ohio colleges or universities. It’s aimed at preparing students for college and careers by offering a wide range of options at little to no cost for public school students.
During an interview with Richland Source on Tuesday morning, Klaus said Clear Fork Supt. Cody Reese asked all questions about the change go to him.
Reese was unavailable by phone or in the district office after multiple attempts were made by Richland Source to seek comment. He had not returned any phone calls by the time this story was published.
An email was also sent Tuesday afternoon seeking comment from school board President Brian Johnson. No reply was received by the time this story published.
The social media comments have since been removed from the internet.
Dorey Diab, president of North Central State College, said the NCSC instructor formerly teaching the composition course made multiple posts to social media related to the death of conservative political activist and Christian Charlie Kirk.
“There are some people who were calling to terminate this faculty (member) or do something with him,” Diab said.
He said a discussion with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office indicated the instructor, “as a private citizen speaking on a public topic, he has the right to express his opinion as he sees fit.”
Diab said some Clear Fork parents and students said they no longer wanted the faculty member instructing the course, which he taught inside the high school, not at the NCSC campus in Mansfield.
The faculty member, employed through NCSC, was not terminated by the college, according to Diab, who declined to identify the instructor. The Clear Fork letter didn’t identify him, either.
“We have addressed the situation with him — strongly as well,” Diab said. “Not from the perspective of him being able to express his opinion, but having him indicating that he’s a member of this college and giving the insinuation that this is a college opinion and it’s not.
“That’s the part that we were not happy about. He has the right and the freedom to express his opinion and has the freedom of speech to communicate as a private person on a public topic that’s been addressed everywhere.”
(Below is the letter sent to students and parents/guardians about a change in a college credit plus course being taught at Clear Fork High School.)
Still some uncertainty regarding coursework already completed
English Composition I CCP is an eight-week course, Diab said. If the district wanted to see the course restructured as a result of expressed concerns, NCSC would accommodate its request.
“We moved the students from the first eight weeks to the second eight weeks and we will be providing a different instructor,” he said. “We have a strong relationship and partnership with the school.
“We care about the students we’re teaching. We’re making sure that they are going to attain the academic goal that they have and we accommodated the needs of Clear Fork at the same time,” he said.
Diab said the course was about halfway complete when the decision was made to conclude until Oct. 13.
“I assume that they will start all over with it (course) again,” the president said. “I don’t know for sure, but that would be my best guess.
“It’s best for everybody’s concern, in my opinion, that it’s better to start fresh.”
Klaus did say the district has made requests of NCSC to consider using some of the work that students have already completed.
“The university seems to think that they can make that happen, but they have not actually confirmed that with us yet,” the principal said. “We told the students, ‘Make sure you hang onto your work, you may be resubmitting the same work you’ve already done.'”
For parents or students still left with questions, Klaus said they may contact herself or NCSC.
“The (Clear Fork) students that are enrolled at North Central State (College) do have a contact person that they’re regularly meeting with, that’s their advisor, through email or through phone. They can definitely talk to their advisor,” she said.
Must find ‘good ways to address issues,’ says Diab
As the nation continues to wrestle with a heightened rhetoric temperature, the NCSC president said the community must find ways to come together, versus trying to take it apart.
“We have the freedom to speak our opinion, so long as we do it professionally, so long as we turn down the temperature of the rhetoric, because extremism doesn’t take us anywhere,” Diab said.
“We need to live with one another. We need to capitalize on commonalities and respect our differences and see how we can make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family.
“It’s incumbent of all of us to find good ways to address issues without getting into each other’s cases and raising temperature and causing harm to others,” Diab said.