H 23°, L 4° | Tomorrow: 
H 21°, L 6°The recent suspension of Marquette University dental student Theodore Schrubbe for comments posted on his personal online blog has been overturned by dental school Dean William Lobb.
The second-year dental student was issued the suspension last year and ordered to repeat his fall semester after a committee at the university determined his blog postings were in violation of Marquette's code of conduct.
Schrubbe's revised punishment includes probation, 100 hours of community service and a public apology to his class.
The postings included shockingly negative comments about an unnamed professor and several of Schrubbe's classmates.
"This year I intend NOT get f-cked by teachers, like I did last semester, cause (sic) 8 of our credits were taught by the same c-ckmaster of a teacher," Schrubbe wrote in one of his postings. "I dont (sic) even gratify him by calling him a professor. He is one who teaches, as in should teach infants and children."
University of Wisconsin professor Gordon Baldwin noted Marquette University, a private Jesuit institution, is not subject to the First Amendment, and free-speech issues need not be considered in reference to their codes of conduct.
Yet many critics of the original suspension believe the punishment did not fit the crime. "The first punishment could be considered a 'career killer' for the student, and the revised punishment is more like a slap on the wrist," Marquette University political science professor John McAdams said. "If anything, the student should have been talked to off the record and asked to consider his actions and possibly take the postings offline, which he probably would have done."
But, according to a statement released by the university, the Marquette School of Dentistry will continue to "emphasize the importance of the highest standards of professional conduct expected of its students as they prepare to enter the practice of dentistry."
However, these precise standards of conduct are not specifically outlined. Many believe this has caused debate over what exactly is and is not permissible in relation to free speech.
"I would like to see a kind of student bill of rights that says students can't do A, B and C, assuming everything else is allowable," McAdams said, adding this would clearly define the intentions and expectations of the university.
If issues arise, a committee of dental students, professors and administrators will make the final decisions on acceptable conduct.
Unlike Marquette, a student attending a public university would be subject to codes of conduct according to the First Amendment.
"A lot of things would have to be considered — due process, hearings, accuracy, if it falls under free speech," Baldwin said. "In that way, it's not clear whether it would have been protected on a public campus like the UW-Madison."
Marquette University spokesperson Brigid O'Brien Miller declined to discuss specific aspects of the case, stating a student's conduct history and permanent record are private.
Schrubbe's attorney, Scott Taylor, did not return calls for comment.
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I must question the comment “shockingly negative comments” regarding the dental student’s web blog made by this article’s author, Kate Maternowski. What college student hasn’t made “shockingly negative comments” about a professor or teaching assistant at some point in their college experience? Let he without sin, cast the first stone. I know I couldn’t throw a pebble at this one.
The student was not commenting on a professor in the dental school, it was a science professor, yet the dental professors took this to a personal level and disciplined the student. The professor and students were unidentified in the web blog.
Start searching the UW blogs. I am confident you will find many inappropriate comments and behaviors shared on them. UW wouldn’t waste the time or the money pursuing this issue.
The Marquette University School of Dentistry accepts millions of dollars from the State of Wisconsin yearly to support the dental school. Where is the separation of a private institution here when the tax payers are providing the school with public funds?
Neither the university ethicist or law department found a violation of the school’s code of conduct. This little incident cost the student $15,000 in attorney fees.
Private university or not, we all have the right of first ammendment speech especially when the line between private and public is blurred by the acceptance of state funds.
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I find the comments that Marquette University, being a private Jesuit university, exempts its students from the privilege of First Amendment rights to be interesting. Where in the Constitution or Bill of Rights does it say that private Jesuit university students do not have First Amendment rights? Also, Marquette Dental school is heavily funded through public monies… so how private is it? Can the public demand that Marquette not receive public monies if it is not going to afford its students the First Amendment rights guaranteed to all American citizens? The decisions made by the current administration of the Dental School is a bit like leaving a rapist in charge of the convent… It is equally appalling that this dental student obviously had to spend an excessive amount of money to defend charges that were arbitrary, unfounded, and, to quote John McAdams, “draconian.” Shame on Marquette.