REPORT: Oregon State: Republican candidate’s children expelled as retribution? Charlie Martin is looking for independent confirmation of this somewhat hard to believe story.

UPDATE: Jerry Pournelle writes:

I find the story Dr. Robinson tells in the above so shocking that it would approach incredible, but two factors apply: I have been reading Robinson for a long time and I have never had any reason to doubt the accuracy of his factual statements. I do not always agree with his conclusions, and in particular in those in which I do agree with him I don’t share all his certainties; but I have never had any reason whatever to question his honesty: which leads me to the conclusion that there is something very rotten in the State of Oregon.

Given the burden of student loans which are rapidly turning the middle class into bondsmen, science and engineering majors might take heed that displaying independence in thinking about AGW can result in financial ruin: it’s bad enough to be burdened with student loan debts after graduation, but it’s far worse if you aren’t allowed to graduate. Those vulnerable to these tactics might think hard about what student organizations they join, and what blogs and tweets they publish. Not everyone can afford independent thought in modern academia. Scary, isn’t it?

And those looking at colleges should probably think about whether they’re worth taking on debt for, when political risk is added to economic risk. And, for that matter, taxpayers should be thinking about whether such behavior is worthy of public support. I still find this story hard to believe, though, but I’m sure that more information will emerge soon.