Hudson

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In 1997, Clark College, a community college in Vancouver, Washington, hired Barbara Hudson as an adjunct instructor to teach Economics 101, Introduction to Economics. In the fall of 1999, a few of Hudson’s students suggested that the class attend a public rally and march opposing the WTO. Hudson thought that her students’ attendance at the rally organized by the AFL-CIO on behalf of the labor movement would be a good idea, and that the speakers would expose the students to points of view not widely disseminated in the mainstream media.

When Dr. James Craven, the lead tenured professor in Clark College’s Economics Department, became aware of Hudson’s plan to attend the rally with her students, he was “absolutely opposed” to it. The Internet and news accounts warned about the potential for violence during the demonstra- tions and the Seattle Police Department was undertaking prep- arations in anticipation of rioting. The event was cast as the “Battle for Seattle.” Craven told Hudson that attending the rally would put the students in danger and threatened to have her “terminated” if she went ahead with her plan. 4018 HUDSON…