Students demanded professor who refused to use trigger warnings be fired. So far, he s still teaching. | The College Fix
The petition against the professor of interdisciplinary studies, theatre and film alleges that he is hiding behind the banner of academic freedom but students have been facing PTSD, anxiety, and discrimination due to the nature of his class.
Regarding India s Daughter, the student petition essentially sided with those who banned the film in India and accused the scholar of not warning students about its nature or offering them a trigger warning, prompting them to have nightmares and anxiety.
Other students offered anecdotes alleging he had treated them rudely.
The petition alleges Gehlawat has not followed the university policies, or federal and state standards that protect students against harm. The petition demanded the university take immediate action and remove him from teaching in order to prevent further damage to students.
Interestingly, the student campaign against Gehlawat came forth after he helped lead an effort to pass a faculty resolution against trigger warnings.
One could say — why don’t students who find explicit movies just not take this professor’s class? — but that would be far too rational. Fortunately, Sonoma State seems to be handling the situation reasonably well so far.