UNM history professor Richard Berthold is no stranger to controversy. He has never wavered in standing by his opinion, whether it is reprimanding the University in a column, supporting Palestine or criticizing affirmative action. He has never wavered, that is, until Sept 11.
Hours after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Berthold told students in his Western Civilization and Greek history classes, "Anyone who can blow up the Pentagon has my vote."
Those were words Berthold said he later regretted as some students wrote him via e-mail expressing their displeasure with his comments.
"That afternoon, my students were bold enough to tell me in e-mails that I acted as an asshole," Berthold said. "I spent the day apologizing to people over the e-mail."
But when state legislators got wind of it, some of them demanded that he be fired.
Now, Berthold finds himself apologizing to the University for those statements he made almost two weeks ago.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"I tend to try to deal with shocking events by making light of them," Berthold said. "That was part of the source for these stupid remarks. All I can say is that all of us are jerks periodically in our lives. On Sept. 11, I was an insensitive and callous jerk."
Still, some legislators are not satisfied with the apology. Rep. William Fuller, R-Albuquerque, said that Berthold should not be teaching because of where he made his remarks - in a classroom.
"I have no problem with what the individual said and his right to say it," Fuller said. "I spent 30 years in the military and my son has been in combat three times and has a Purple Heart trying to defend the basic element of Constitution - the freedom of speech. It's not that he said it, it's where he said it."
Fuller's son works in an office in the same wing of the Pentagon where one of the hijacked planes crashed that day, but he was not in the building when the attack occurred.
Fuller acknowledged that it would be hard to fire Berthold because he has worked at the University for 30 years and has tenure. But Fuller also said he has been a faculty member at two universities and any instructor who would have made comments such as Berthold's would have faced serious repercussions. He added that he was sure UNM President Bill Gordon would take appropriate action.
Gordon issued a statement on Friday calling Berthold's comments "irresponsible and deeply offensive." The statement also said that Berthold expressed deep regret for what he said.
"I know that many others -- both on campus and in the community -- have had the same reaction," Gordon said. "While we all know that the First Amendment protects a broad range of speech, the fact that Professor Berthold's speech is protected does not make his comments any less repugnant."
Berthold said, while he has been a critic of the University at times, he did not mean to harm the school in any way.
"I've been criticizing the University for 30 years and certainly don't apologize for that," Berthold said. "But it's also an institution I have given 30 years, and I don't want it to suffer financially now."
Fuller said he was not satisfied with Berthold's apology.
"Going on air and apologizing just doesn't cut," Fuller said. "I don't think I see a sign of an apology."
Gail Beam, D-Albuquerque, is the University's representative in the state legislature and said that firing Berthold would violate his First Amendment right.
"I really think the professors are entitled to their academic freedom, which includes speech," Beam said. "Unfortunately, if he said what he said, all we can do is express our disagreement."
