Are college professors legally allowed to tell students in class who to vote for as president?

Question

I have a college instructor who, during class time, very clearly told the class that they needed to vote for one particular presidential candidate or they were all idiots. Is this legal? I don't think so but I can't find any sources to back me up. It made me furious to hear her do that. College students are notoriously impressionable by their professors, and it isn't right that this professor should get 75 free votes. Please let me know if this is legal or not, and link to a legitimate source.

Thank you.

Answer 1

I'm assuming you're talking about the cola wars.

Your professor is actually a highly trained Pepsi operative working against the Coke drinkers at your college.

Don't fall prey to Pepsi's ploys dear, overthrow!

Answer 2

You do realize you don't have to vote for who your professor wants you to right?

LOL

Sorry, you won't get any 'legitimate sources' for that one.  This is America after all and its not like you are in elementary school!

Answer 3

How can't it be? Free speech. He is saying his point of view. "If you don't vote for ___, you're an idiot. ___ is better than anyone. You should see that." It is opinion. A very, very strong opinion, but still an opinion. And by the way, I'm a college student. I'm not impressionable. If my teacher told my to vote McCain I never would, no matter what the argument. I'd tell them to their face that I wouldn't give them a free vote. Everyone I know would do the same. We don't have the mentality of a five year old. "If you vote for this person, you get a cookie!"

If said teacher has a gun to your head as you vote, then it's a totally different story, though.

Answer 4

Technically, yes, because we all have the right to freedom of speech in America. So your professor legally can spout her political opinions about a presidential candidate.

Legally, she can recommend and even urge you to vote for a certain candidate.

However, she does NOT have the legal right to require that you vote for this candidate, nor does she have the right to information about which candidate you actually do vote for.

Also, she DOESN'T have the right to take up class time with her political views. You students are paying her to teach the subject matter of the course. You absolutely have the right to complain to the college dean or department head or college president about her taking away from class time to push her political leanings.

In a few political science or other social science classes, her political viewpoint might be relevant to the course material. Saying that her students are stupid to have a different viewpoint is abusive and can be stopped.

Answer 5

Yes, it is perfectly legal.  My guess is that this won't change anyone's vote, so there will be no "free votes".  College is about freedom of expression.  Every professor has his or her biases, and gives opinions.  Since you take classes from many professors, who tend to have a variety of opinions, it all comes out in the wash.  

As a professor, I try very hard NOT to tip my hand on issues like politics, because I am not teaching anything related to politics, and I don't think I have a right to use the classroom as a platform for my views on issues on which I am not an expert and for which the university has not hired me as an expert.  However, there is nothing to stop me from giving my opinions if I choose to do so.

Answer 6

Yes it's legal. I'm failing to see how it could possibly be illegal.

Answer 7

Of course it is legal.  The professor has the same freedom of speech that you do and can't enforce his opinion on the class by monitoring your vote.  Of course, if you argue with him in class, he may not love you.

  It is called academic freedom also, although we jump on professors and rotting our precious little children.  So start to grow up.