Here is the letter I have written and will present to the College Human Resources office tomorrow (in person). I am sick of this issue haunting me and if it I don’t get some answers immediately and at least an attempt from someone to investigate this matter, I’m likely to loose it.
This has been going on for 6 months now, if you are unaware of what is going on, this letter I am presenting tomorrow along with this complete form, should explain everything. FYI here is the discrimination policy for the Contra Costa Community College District. Clearly states “veteran status”.
Contra Costa Community College District
Attn: Human Resources
500 Court Street
Martinez, CA 94553Dear Madam or Sir,
During the Spring 2009 semester at Diablo Valley College Professor Sharon Pastori expressed extreme discrimination towards myself based on my veteran status. I was the only student in the class who was a veteran, and out of the nine posters that Ms Pastori has displayed on her office door three of them express her bias towards the United States occupying Iraq. [Photo Enclosed]
On one occasion Ms Pastori rudely ordered me to leave her classroom based on her incorrect assumption that I was “texting” in class. My phone is clipped on the outside of my pocket which I informed her in my defense, and pleaded that I wasn’t using my phone. With no prior warning, she announced at a tone loud enough to be heard in the building next to ours that I was texting and I was to leave her class. The manner in which she performed left me feeling ridiculed and humiliated in front of my peers. Both prior and after this event other students have forgotten to turn off their phones and received phone calls, brought in laptops which they used to talk on instant messaging services with sounds enabled, and I have been the only one forced to leave the class. If I was using my phone my behavior was not disruptive, nor was Ms Pastori’s actions justifiable.
According to Ms Pastori’s syllabus she states that by asking her for the ability to leave class to accept phone calls, she is very understanding. However when I asked for special permission as outlined in her syllabus, I informed her that my wife a Korean national, doesn’t speak English very well and has only been living in this country for a short time. I am acting as an emergency contact in case there is a problem with my wife or our daughter. Ms Pastori informed me that the class is only four hours long with a 15 minute break half way through. This 15 minute break should be more than sufficient for any emergency. I attempted to argue that by explaining that 911 does not have a Korean interpreter on staff and that if she does need 911 services, she would have to call me first. Ms Pastori continued to deny me this privilege. I am still fortunate enough that my wife has not had the opportunity to use any emergency services in the United States.
I served in the Army for 5 years and can easily tolerate people being rude and inconsistent; however Ms Pastori did not stop there. She refused to give me anything other than a zero on anything that I turned in, including a major essay which was handed back without a grade. After several failed attempts to speak with Ms Pastori, after class and during her posted office hours she refused to give me an answer why I did not receive a grade. Ms Pastori repeatedly had other issues to attend too and would not talk to me. It wasn’t until I had arranged a meeting with her supervisor Ms Fink that I was able to get an answer as to why I was not given credit for work I had handed in. Ms Fink refused to read what Ms Pastori had written on my paper and forced me to read it too her before Ms Pastori responded in the meeting “why does it matter, you have an overall average of 18%. There is no way you can bring that average up, so just drop out of the class and take it again next semester”. Ms Pastori informed me that I failed to receive a grade because I wrote about what I wanted to write about and not the actual assignment. The assignment was to write about “Pop Culture” and Ms Pastori claimed that my essay was about “Twitter”. I wrote an essay about how Twitter is re-defining Pop Culture, and allowing us to choose what we want to hear about instead of the media telling us what Pop Culture is. [Essay enclosed]
The subjects that Ms Pastori uses in her class are all along the lines of racism, gay rights, women’s rights, teen pregnancy, and other such topics. Very rarely did she incorporate anything into her class that could not be considered offensive to someone. In most cases it was me that was offended. Ms Pastori called on me in class multiple times when the subject of the Armed Forces even played a minor factor in her point. One incident Ms Pastori asked me if soldiers have to follow orders blindly without the right of making our own decisions, which I refused to answer a question that would de-fame the Army in such a manner. Laws under the Geneva Convention require we only follow lawful, orders and at any time we are able to correct a superior office if we feel they are out of line. It may be a bold move, but we do not do anything blindy.
Ms Pastori would use vulgar language, including writing “shit” on the board and in handouts. [Enclosed] I had to explain to a younger student that vulgarity is not accepted anywhere, including the Army, no matter how mature we might be after high school. The younger student was shocked when I explained this, which makes Ms Pastori’s use of this language more appalling to me.
I have friends and family that are pushing me to hire a lawyer, which I would much rather forget this incident and just move on with my life. Although now I was forced to drop the 6 credit course, leaving me with only taking a single math course which is my weakest subject, giving me a “D” for the semester and placing me on academic probation.
I want the VA contacted and any problems with my G.I. Bill rectified, any tuition fees that I paid for the class with Ms Pastori refunded, and to have Ms Pastori removed from her current position so that my fellow soldiers are not forced to experience what I have been forced to deal with. I feel these demands are more than reasonable. I am not looking for reparations, just that any wrong done towards myself is made right again.
Sincerely,
Adam Chrysler
Any comments or other additions to this that I left out, feel free to leave comments!
