Professor's 9/11 Website Causes Controversy

Professor's 9/11 Website Causes Controversy

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Apr 26, 2005
Tom Brockman

A professor at one down east college is causing some controversy, not by something she said, but by what she's putting on her webpage. The site's content is about the attacks on September 11, but It doesn't talk about the impact of the attacks, instead it talks about conspiracy theories.

Dr. Jane Christensen is an associate professor of political science at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount. Her school web page stands out from the rest; from pictures of militants with guns to claims that a jet plane isn't what blew up the pentagon on 9-11. It may sound outrageous to some, but not to senior Brad Mitchell. He says, “The pentagon was supposedly struck by an airplane, where's the plane?” But Sharrie Faison says it's just another conspiracy. She says, “Personally I know it was a plane that hit it because I have family that worked there, she watched it go into the pentagon.” Christensen says, “I think a professor should have a right to put pretty much anything on their websites that encourage learning and research by students and that's what I’m attempting to do.” But Faison, a student at the college, says it's gone too far. She says, “If they want to have links about 9-11, it should be the impacts of it and not so much that there were cover ups with it.” Mitchell says it's what college education is all about. He says, “It's textbook as far as I’m concerned as for what she's done with that syllabus and I don't find anything offensive on it.” Christensen says, “This is not only a free speech issue, first amendment issue, but is also academic freedom.” And she says the web site is there to stay.

Nine on Your Side made numerous attempts to talk to Ian Newbould, the president of the college, but the school refused to talk. We did contact the North Carolina United Methodist conference because Wesleyan is a Methodist college. The bishop released a statement saying the college is an independent institution and that the college and the church share the same faith. He also said that the board of trustees would respond appropriately.