University punishes professor for Sept. 11 remark

By The Associated Press

12.11.01

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A University of New Mexico history professor who told his freshman class that "anyone who can blow up the Pentagon has my vote" won't be able to teach freshmen "for the immediate future," the school said yesterday.

A letter of reprimand also will be placed in Richard Berthold's personnel file, and he will undergo an in-depth post-tenure review following the comment he made after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Brian L. Foster, university provost.

Berthold also will follow a specific plan for complying with the standards of professional behavior for the classroom that are described in the faculty handbook, Foster said in a statement.

Berthold called the reprimand "an entirely appropriate response to the stupidity and callousness of those remarks."

He said he wouldn't teach a freshman Western civilization course, which he has taught for 29 years, next semester and possibly longer.

"I'm inclined to give it up for a while anyway," Berthold said, adding that he would likely teach more upper-level courses instead.

"The students (in upper-level classes) are more seasoned; they're used to more adult behavior," Berthold said.

University President William C. Gordon said the core issue "was not the political or social view Professor Berthold conveyed on that day."

"Our decision to take action in this case was based on our conclusion that Professor Berthold had, indeed, failed to carry out his responsibility to his students, when he made gratuitous remarks that were needlessly offensive and potentially hurtful in the classroom," Gordon said.

Berthold has apologized for his comment, which he called "an incredibly stupid joke."

The 55-year-old tenured professor told a freshman Western civilization class just after the terrorist attacks that "anyone who can blow up the Pentagon has my vote." Within days, three state legislators and a UNM regent demanded he be fired.

Since the remark, Berthold said he's been assaulted in front of his home and he's received several angry e-mails and letters with messages such as, "I'd like to blow you up."

He said that he had tried to answer the more reasonable letters but the outpouring of anger was a surprise.

"Maybe I appreciated in the abstract how populations react to things, but on a personal level now I understand it from the utter hatred that was expressed in the awful e-mails and letters I received."

Berthold stayed off campus for a brief period while police investigated obscene and threatening calls to the history department. After the investigations, Berthold resumed teaching.

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