By Jason Sweeney

A dispute between a Foothill College student and a professor has become the center of a national controversy.

Talk radio, cable TV talk shows, the evening news and bloggers have been abuzz discussing the political implications of a complaint by student Ahmad Al-Qloushi, a member of the college’s Republican club, against political science professor Joseph Woolcock.

The student has dropped the complaint, but the professor has since filed a grievance against the student.

When Woolcock met with Al-Qloushi last December to discuss a paper on the U.S. Constitution, the professor was unaware the discussion would lead to accusations of anti-Americanism and liberal bias from people across the country, and from as far away as Australia and Taiwan.

The case seems straightforward - a conservative student accuses a liberal professor of political bias. But the case of Woolcock and Al-Qloushi is unusual. Both have become embroiled in American partisan politics but neither is an American citizen. Woolcock is from the West Indies, and Al-Qloushi is from Kuwait attending Foothill on a student visa.

The controversy began following a Dec. 1 conversation between Al-Qloushi and Woolcock that took place in Woolcock’s office. Al-Qloushi contends that Woolcock instructed him to receive psychotherapy from the college psychiatrist because Woolcock believed Al-Qloushi’s pro-American views were irrational.

Al-Qloushi went public with his contentions and the story spread rapidly over the Internet. Al-Qloushi then appeared on several talk radio programs and on national television with a mention on ABC’s World News Tonight and an appearance on Fox News channel’s Hannity And Colmes.

Woolcock asserted that it was Al-Qloushi’s anxiety over Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and not a political viewpoint, for why he suggested Al-Qloushi see Foothill College’s psychiatric counselor.

Al-Qloushi maintained that he felt his visa status was in jeopardy over the incident. He stated that the passing of the Academic Bill Of Rights, a project led by conservative organizations, would ensure students would not be intimidated or discriminated against in class because of a political viewpoint.

When asked his motivation for taking this incident public, Al-Qloushi said, “My goal is passing the Academic Bill Of Rights so that students won’t be threatened again for their political views.”

In a very American twist to the story, Woolcock and Al-Qloushi have both hired lawyers.

Woolcock has filed a grievance with Foothill College against Al-Qloushi for the release of his name to the media. Woolcock said he has received numerous e-mail messages and telephone calls containing death threats and vulgar insults, which authorities are now investigating. Woolcock stated he has suffered a loss of privacy.

Woolcock said CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN and the San Jose Mercury News have attempted to contact him for interviews. He has refused interviews because of legal issues and because he values his privacy. He stated he does not wish to use the national attention this case has generated to seek his “15 minutes of fame.”

Woolcock enjoys teaching at Foothill College and said the college has stood behind throughout the ongoing media whirlwind.