A professor at the University of Kentucky has been punished for singing a Beach Boys tune during a lesson on the differences between Chinese and American culture. Buck Ryan, a professor of journalism, penned an essay in his local newspaper this weekend, detailing his three-month investigation by his school’s Title IX Coordinator.
His charge? Ryan sang the song “California Girls” by the Beach Boys in his class, along with a song by Sting and one from the Wizard of Oz.
A Title IX investigation soon launched. Ryan was not immediately told of the nature of the charges against him. He also was told by the Dean that he doesn’t have any right to due process.
“There is no constitutional right to represent the University of Kentucky abroad. Nor is there a constitutional right to teach a particular class. Accordingly, the University has no obligation to provide you with due process,” the Dean said.
During Title IX investigations, the precise nature of allegations is often kept under wraps. Thus, it is not surprising that Professor Ryan wasn’t immediately told what he did wrong.
No students have claimed they’re victims.
At one point, two female students even came forth in hopes of defending Professor Ryan during his investigation. Unfortunately, they were not interviewed by the Title IX coordinator. According to the ruling from the Title IX Coordinator, the Beach Boys song Professor Ryan sung to students included “language of a sexual nature.”
In singing “California Girls,” Ryan violated Administrative Regulation 6:1, Discrimination and Harassment at the University of Kentucky. Section C of that rule reads: “Conduct of an amorous or sexual nature occurring in an apparently welcome relationship may be unwelcome due to the existence of a power difference.”
The conduct of “sexual nature” that Ryan appears to have engaged in is only singing the lyrics of the song. One of the lines is “Well Shanghai girls are hip; I really dig those styles they wear.”
There is no record of Ryan engaging in any other type of sexually explicit behavior.
Because of this ruling, Ryan is unable to receive international travel funds and was stripped of an award worth thousands of dollars. He also likely faces the institutional stigma of a guilty Title IX verdict.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) gave the University of Kentucky’s Harassment Policies a Yellow Light rating earlier this year. This means FIRE has found that the school has troublesome free speech policies, but that those policies are not severe or clear enough to warrant the more-severe Red Light rating.
According to a recent press release from FIRE, “The Department of Justice now interprets Title IX to require colleges and universities to violate the First Amendment.”
Considering that Professor Ryan teaches at the University of Kentucky’s “First Amendment Center,” the irony of this situation has not gone unnoticed.
