In the tape, recorded during a criminal justice class, Richards can be heard encouraging a female student to sign the recall petition even though she thinks she lives outside the district, and instructing students to sign using their campus address instead of their parents’ home address.

Naturally Professor Richards was recorded encouraging students to sign petitions to recall Republican elected officials. No surprise that Richards, the criminology professor, is a convicted felon.

Via WTMJ
Kind of foolish to pull this in the era of smart phones…. but a UW-Oshkosh prof is caught enflagrante using class time to push for the recall of a state senator and Governor Walker. Would have been nice if someone from the MSM was hounddogging this sort of story, but the release comes from the state GOP:

“A recording released by the Republican Party of Wisconsin exposes Professor Stephen Richards using class time to actively campaign for the recall of State Senator Randy Hopper, encouraging his students to sign recall petitions offered by circulators present in his classroom.

“In the tape, recorded during a criminal justice class,Richards can be heard encouraging a female student to sign the recall petition even though she thinks she lives outside the district, and instructing students to sign using their campus address instead of their parents’ home address. He also tells students to look for petition circulators all around campus and “in the bars.”

“This incredible misuse of power by a person in a position of authority cannot be tolerated,” said Mark Jefferson, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “Professor Richards used valuable class time to actively campaign to his students, over whom he has influence. The incident goes way past poor judgment – this is egregious professional misconduct.”

“In the recording, Richards openly discusses his involvement in the recall effort, detailing organizational meetings he has attended, and using the term “we” to describe recall organizers.

“As the Professor discusses the various reasons he supports the recall efforts, he promotes several falsehoods about the effects of the budget repair bill, saying at one point “It will be a lot less, um, rewarding to be in law enforcement, because they’re gonna cut all the police unions.”

“Either he’s purposely lying to students in an effort to provoke them to sign the petitions, or he is woefully misinformed and spreading severe inaccuracies along to students who rely on him for factual information,” says Jefferson. “Teachers and college professors have a responsibility to their students and to their communities. We trust them to deliver facts and stay above the political fray – at the very least when they are at the head of a classroom. This Professor has seriously failed his students. One has to wonder if this is an isolated incident or a more common occurrence in our state’s classrooms.”

The full audio recording is available for download here: http://www.wisgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Professor-Richard-Audio.mp3

Full transcript of audio recording: http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/121149274.html

Lawmakers want UWO professor to resign

Educator encouraged students about recall petition

Chancellor Richard Wells says in a statement, “UW-Oshkosh administrators took immediate and appropriate action regarding Professor Richards’ March 7 comments after they were first made known to us.”
The statement includes a timeline of the actions taken, but doesn’t say if any disciplinary actions were taken. It is a concern Senator Hopper brought to the chancellor himself.
“I told him I understood how the system works, but I told him I was disappointed in the response,” said Hopper.
Hopper wants professor Richards to resign or be fired.
“I said to him they are paid to educate, not indoctrinate and this sort of thing shouldn’t be tolerated,” said Hopper.
FOX 11 asked Richards what his response was to the calls for his resignation and he said he had no comment.
Hopper says Chancellor Wells told him the incident with Richards appeared to be isolated.
Hopper says he understands any discipline would be handled internally and he was not told what action was taken.
Representatives Jim Steineke (R-Vandenbroek) and Michelle Litjens (R-Vinland) sent a letter to Wells questioning the handling of the incident.
Read More: http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/fox_cities/uwo-professor-stephen-richards-receives-corrective-action-after-recall-flap