LYING PROF DOUBLES DOWN: April 17 tweet by Sinclair Community College professor Kate Geiselman, who made up a preposterous “effing” quotation by guest speaker Peter LaBarbera to humiliate him and make him look like an angry “homophobe.” LaBarbera said “effing” only to relay to the audience that one of its members had angrily used the real F-word to attack his speech. Pro-family attorney Charles LiMandri has written Geiselman and Salon Magazine to demand an apology and retraction. 

In this post:

1. 2-minute video of Sinclair Community College professor-led “walkout” [begins at :16 point of video];
2. Part One and Part Two of YouTube videos of Peter LaBarbera’s talk at SCC, sponsored by the Traditional Values Club;
3. Copy of April 24 web post by SCC professor Rebecca Morean on Salon.com, backing up the “effing” lie told by fellow SCC prof Kate Geiselman in her Salon hit-piece against LaBarbera;
4. Go HERE to read AFTAH attorney Charles LiMandri’s letter to Geiselman and Salon.com demanding a public retraction and apology.

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Dear AFTAH Readers,

Refuting a leftist lie is hard work, but it must be done.

Below is the video of the Sinclair Community College walkout on my speech at the Dayton, Ohio college April 9, 2014–provided by the Traditional Values Club, which sponsored the talk. As you can see, the professor-led walkout began right after I started speaking–and ironically, after I had commended the audience for demonstrating true tolerance by listening to a dissenting viewpoint!

Note that I did not come even close to uttering the quotation absurdly attributed to me by SCC writing professor Kate Geiselman in the liberal online magazine Salon. Geiselman accused me (the “antigay bigot” in the headline) of responding recklessly to the walkout: “You’re leaving? Are you ‘effing’ [substituting for the F-word] kidding?”

Below is a transcription of my remarks at the podium as the professor-led walkout begins–painstakingly produced by pro-family writer Gina Miller [see Miller’s excellent piece on the controversy on Barbwire.com HERE]:

“I suppose this is a walk-out. Well, this is, this is what I say, not, not even people willing to hear from the other side. I think this is, this is regretful. [heckler interjects F-word] ‘Your message is ‘effing’ garbage,’ that guy just said. Yeah, yeah this is a shame, but, well, those of you who remained are exhibiting true tolerance… I mean this is—this is the Left in action; I’m sorry. You know, tolerance for me but not for you. Don’t even want to hear a viewpoint. That’s their right, and I just think it’s immature…”

[See my attorney Chuck LiMandri’s letter demanding a retraction and apology from Geiselman HERE.]

Constructing a bogus narrative

Honestly, I think the admittedly hard-of-hearing Geiselman heard me say “effing”–I was merely relaying a barb from a man in the audience who hurled the real F-bomb to denounce my talk–and then used that to concoct a bogus narrative casting me as the angry “homophobe.” Later, Professor Rebecca Morean, who can be seen leading the walkout in the video below, repeated the Geiselman’s lie [see graphic at bottom of this article]. Morean has boasted about her role in the walkout.

What these politicized professors–who greatly dishonor their noble profession–fail to appreciate is that real tolerance and diversity were on display at their college that day, between conservatives like me and the few liberals (including some students) who did not take part in Morean’s cowardly exercise in leftist groupthink. We went back and forth on the homosexual issue, and perhaps emerged with the same views with which we came–but also with greater understanding of the other side’s position. In other words, we had a civil, lively, yet respectful discussion at an institution of higher learning. Imagine that. –Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

Read the Traditional Values Club’s description of their YouTube video of the professor-led “walkout” below. The walkout begins at :16 point of video; notice Prof. Morean standing up and signaling the mass exodus:

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Video of talk confirms LaBarbera did not say what Geiselman and Salon.com allege

THE LIES OF THE LEFT: Above is the headline for the Salon.com hit-piece by Sinclair Community College writing professor Kate Geiselman, who fabricated a quotation and attributed it to AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera. Dozens of students, apparently led by liberal SCC professors, walked out on LaBarbera as he began his April 9 talk at the college–but he never reacted by saying, “You’re leaving? Are you effing [read: a substitute for the F-word] kidding?” A videotape of the walkout, and testimony by firsthand witnesses, confirm that Geiselman’s account is bogus.  Click on graphic to enlarge.

Below is the demand letter sent yesterday by pro-family attorney Chuck Limandri to Kate Geiselman, the Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH) writing prof who fabricated an outright lie about my SCC talk in an article in the liberal online magazine Salon.com. I was invited to speak on April 9 by the school’s Traditional Values Club–which (I later learned) is despised by a cabal of leftist profs at SCC. Note that Limandri’s letter was also sent to Salon editor Cindy Jeffers. We cannot allow the Left to libel and slander us at will with zero consequences. More coming on this. Thanks.–Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

Kate Geiselman’s libelous SALON article: http://www.salon.com/2014/04/16/%E2%80%9Cyou%E2%80%99re_leaving_are_you_effing_kidding%E2%80%9D_an_anti_gay_bigot_gets_humiliated/

YouTube video of staged walkout of LaBarbera’s talk at Sinclair CC: http://youtu.be/hxxMiyhxXzo

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Letter by Charles Limandri to Kate Geiselman and Salon.com editor Cindy Jeffers:

———- Forwarded message ———-

From: [Charles Limandri] [e-mail addresses redacted]
Date: Fri, May 9, 2014 at 8:40 PM
Subject: LaBarbera v. Geiselman
To: [Kathryn Geiselman]
Cc: [Cindy Jeffers, Salon.com]

Dear Ms. Geiselman:

Please be advised that the undersigned has been retained by Peter LaBarbera with respect to a potential claim for defamation against you. As you know, you falsely accused Mr. LaBarbera of using profanity at a talk that he gave at Sinclair Community College on April 9, 2014. The article in which you made that false and defamatory statement is here: http://www.salon.com/2014/04/16/%E2%80%9Cyou%E2%80%99re_leaving_are_you_effing_kidding%E2%80%9D_an_anti_gay_bigot_gets_humiliated/. A Youtube video of the staged walk-out that you organized of Mr. LaBarbera’s presentation is here: http://youtu.be/hxxMiyhxXzo. The audio on the two minute video makes it perfectly clear that Mr. LaBarbera did not utter the unprofessional and defamatory words that you attribute to him. This has been confirmed by multiple witnesses who were in immediate proximity to Mr. LaBarbera during his entire presentation. You further falsely accused Mr. LaBarbera of being “a person who makes his living telling lies” in the internet posting attached above. You did so even though you did not even have the decency to listen to his remarks before publicly excoriating him.

In Ohio, libel is defined as a false and malicious publication made with the intent to injure a person’s reputation or expose him to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, shame or disgrace, or to affect him adversely in his trade or profession. Becker v. Toulmin (1956), 165 Ohio St. 549; Cleveland Leader Printing Co. v. Nethersole (1911), 84 Ohio St. 118. Pursuant to Ohio law, a publication which of itself reflects upon the character of a person by bringing him into public ridicule, or which affects him injuriously in his trade or profession is libelous per se. Westropp v. E. W. Scripps Co. (1947), 148 Ohio St. 365; The Cleveland Leader Printing Co. v. Nethersole (1911), 84 Ohio St. 118. Therefore, the publication of a false statement ascribing to another conduct, characteristics or a condition incompatible with the proper conduct of his lawful business, trade or profession is libelous per se and damages are presumed. Landrum v. Dombey (1971), 30 Ohio App. 2d 200, 202. “A statement that someone is a liar is clearly one which would tend to injure a person’s reputation, and courts have considered such statements to be defamatory on their face”. Dillon v. Waller, 1995 Ohio App. LEXIS 5860, 12, 1995 WL 765224 (Ohio Ct. App., Franklin County Dec. 26, 1995); See also, Dale v. Ohio Civil Serv. Employees Ass’n, 57 Ohio St. 3d 112, 117, 567 N.E.2d 253, 258, 1991 Ohio LEXIS 178, 16, 136 L.R.R.M. 2898 (Ohio 1991).

By your false and defamatory statements you have maliciously sought to injure Mr. LaBarbera in his reputation and to expose him to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, shame or disgrace. You have also sought to injure him in his trade or profession. We hereby demand that you issue a public retraction of, and a public apology for, your false and defamatory statements made against Mr. LaBarbera. If you and Salon.com do not do so within ten (10) days from the date of this e-mail, then we will take all necessary steps to protect Mr. LaBarbera’s rights including bringing a lawsuit against you and Salon.com for compensatory and punitive damages. Please place any homeowner’s insurance carrier and professional liability carrier that you may have on notice of this claim. Such liability insurance may be available to satisfy this claim if you are a member of a teacher’s union. We look forward to your response or the response of your legal representative within the next ten days.

Sincerely,

Charles S. LiMandri

Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate
National Board of Trial Advocacy

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Charles S. LiMandri, Esq.
President and Chief Counsel
Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund
P.O. Box 9520
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

www.consciencedefense.org