Sharon Sweet, an associate professor of mathematics at Brevard Community College (BCC), Florida, has been terminated by the college for allegedly urging students to vote for President Barack Obama in last year's November election.
The pledge cards that were circulated to her math students, features a picture of Obama on the top and a red flag with the phrase "Pledge to vote!"
During the Board of trustee's four-hour meeting, they voted 3-1 to annul her employment. One of the trustees, Steve Charpentier voted against the decision saying that Sweet's actions demand punishment, not firing.
The college officials fired Sweet after a three- month investigation that revealed that she had violated two codes of conduct that urges employees to act professionally within the college premises and prohibit them from seeking support for political candidates during elections.
In addition, Sweet supposedly forced some students to sign the pledge card promising that they would vote for President Obama and other Democratic candidates.
The college officials initiated an investigation after receiving complaints that Sweet, a certified Democrat, distributed partisan campaign materials in her math classes and stimulated presidential politics.
Sweet was placed on a paid suspension during the inquiry into her unethical behavior.
During the investigation, the college officials approached students in her math class to get insights into her so-called political campaign. The students disclosed that they were forced to sign the cards, otherwise their grades would suffer.
In her defense, Sweet said that she did not realize the 'pledge card' was supporting Obama. She was just participating in non-partisan voter registration on campus encouraging students to cast their vote.
Sweet was a tenured professor at the college.
"I didn't see the partisan part of the pledge card," Sweet said. "I really did not."
Sweet is planning to challenge the college's decision in court either through arbitration or by requesting an appeal hearing.
"She certainly regrets it", Sweet's attorney Thomas Brooks said. "She apologies that this situation came up, but it's a situation that got out of hand when she was trying to do good things for the students."
