Bruce Ramsey, the leading expert on life and work of the great classical liberal, Garet Garrett, has written a hard-hitting column for the Seattle Times defending the academic freedom of Professor Peter Ratener of Bellevue Community College.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has also taken up the case. Here is an account by Robert E. Shibley at FIRE's The Torch:

For those who don’t remember, Professor Ratener had the misfortune to write a math exam question that involved both a watermelon and a person named Condoleezza, leading to punishment from his college. Ramsey’s column looks at the issue from the perspective of other Bellevue professors—and what he finds isn’t good news for those who care about free speech on campus. Key quote: “What I learned last spring,” says a BCC prof, “is that if I offend somebody, intentionally or not, and that person goes to the media, I’m screwed."

As readers of L and P recall, Bellevue Community College responded to the Ratener case by hiring the notorious Glenn E. Singleton to provide mandatory Maoist-style diversity traing for faculty.