Florida Atlantic University officials have decided to retain professor Deandre Poole who was initially suspended for asking students to stomp on a piece of paper bearing the word 'Jesus' in his intercultural communications class, early March. The activity was part of a recommended classroom exercise under the topic, 'Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach.'
Poole, a non-tenured communications instructor was immediately placed on paid leave after the assignment dubbed as 'stomp on Jesus' led to a national outcry.
Officials of FAU said Friday that after consulting with his class students, faculty members and a security expert, the university has decided to renew his annual contract. Poole,32, will be allowed to teach online through the rest of 2013 because of safety concerns.
"We thought it was in the university's best interest. We need experienced, qualified faculty members, and all things considered, we decided he would be a valuable asset to the college. I understand this decision may not be popular with all members of the community, but it was based on months of thorough research and consideration," said Heather Coltman, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
Poole claimed that people were quick to term the assignment 'anti Christian' without checking the facts.
He claimed that he never used the word 'stomp' and just simply followed the assignment in a textbook written by a professor at a Christian college.
"I was extremely alarmed by all the misinformation that was out there," Poole said. "So many individuals rushed to judgment without having all the facts."
Noemi Marin, the university's director of the school of communication and multimedia studies said that this exercise was meant to teach students to think about an issue from different perspectives and educational institutions are a platform to encourage debates and discussions on sensitive topics.
