Students regarding Bonnell's alleged disruption of their eductaion.

As regards the following letters, Prof. Bonnell says,"The cluster of ... missives were generated in May of 1999 in response to the College's charge that I had "disrupted the educational process" by telling my students about my suspension and about the gag order that made my telling last not more than a minute or two. "
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To:            John Bonnell
From:        Bonnie Budnik,
Date:        5/10/99, 4:44 AM
Re:            Alleged Disruption of the Educational Process

In regards to John Bonnell:

At no time did Professor Bonnell encourage the students in our poetry class to skip class. He did not tell us that we would be punished if we attended class during his suspension, nor did he tell us we would be rewarded if we did not attend class.

I originally heard about Professor John Bonnell when my son attended Macomb College a few years ago. He has since attended Western Michigan University and is presently at Detroit College of Business. He felt that Professor Bonnell was the best professor he had at Macomb College, and was better than most he has had since.
Of the letters below, Prof. Bonnell says,"
In my 3 years at Macomb I have had many teachers, some good, most mediocre. I have pretty much accepted the fact that the students are going to be treated like "high school" students, not as the adults most of them are. I have heard teachers verbally abuse students, teachers with no control over their classes, teachers who had absolutely no teaching skills.

When I signed up for Professor Bonnells' class, I did it with the full knowledge of "what I was getting in to." From what my son had told me, I had high hopes that this class would be different than most of the others I had taken so far. And it was. Finally, a professor that treated the students as adults, not children. At no time did I feel that I was being subjected to "sexual harassment." The class periods always flew by much too quickly, and I actually looked forward to going to class.

When I heard about the suspension of Professor Bonnell, I discussed the situation at great length with my husband and finally decided not to attend class on those days. I believed then that the suspension was unjust, and still do. I returned to class after a week to a new teacher. I was not satisfied with her and decided to drop the class. Unfortunately, it was too late to transfer so I ended up losing the credits. Because of this I will not have enough credits to get my Associates degree this semester, but I am still moving on to Wayne State next semester, where I hope to have more professors and teachers of the quality of Professor Bonnell.

Bonnie J Budnick

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May 12,1999

To whom it may concern:

I am currently enrolled in English 122 LA, the class that Professor Bonnell was suspended from mid-semester. I am writing to you now in the hopes that I may help in putting an end to this ludicrous situation.

I did not attend class on Tuesday, February 2, 1999. However, this was not at the request of Professor Bonnell. He never threatened me or any of my classmates nor did he promise us anything for not attending. I will gladly share with you the reason I did not attend class. I did not attend because I find this "sexual harassment" charge, and resulting suspension, insulting, I am an intelligent, adult woman and I do not need you or anyone else to tell me what I can and can not listen to, The very idea that you would think that Macomb students are so "delicate" is demeaning. Professor Bonnell never said anything that you would not hear on television or radio on any given day; and even if he did, I am secure enough, and adult enough, to simply transfer to another class.

In closing, I would like to remind the board that I am a tuition paying student, which means I support Macomb Community College; I am also a registered voter in Macomb County, which means I elect your positions. Therefore, I would think you would be more open to what students, like myself, have to say.

Sincerely,

(signed)
Margaret Radlinski.

**************************************************************************************

5-13-99

Personal statement:

I did not attend Professor Bonnell's English 260kc course during his
initial three day suspension. I chose not to attend the two sessions. I did not
see how a substitute could implement Professor Bonnell's discussion of the
material assigned. Points are based on what I write and are based on what is
discussed in class. I was in no way persuaded by Professor Bonnell to attend
or not to attend. Professor Bonnell simply informed us that there would be a
substitute teacher for those two days. There were no rewards or punishments
offered to me for choosing to not attend by Professor Bonnell or anyone else.
I am an adult and made the decision on my own free will.

I was contacted by the college administration office several weeks after
Professor Bonnell's initial suspension inquiring if I was questioned by the
media. I told them I was not questioned by the media. I was also asked by
the college administration if I was prompted by Professor Bonnell what to say
when the media was present. I was not prompted by Professor Bonnell on
what to say when the media was present for a short period (approximately 10
minutes) one class session prior to Professor Bonnell's suspension.

I ended up having to drop Professor Bonnell's English 260kc course
due to this permanent suspension that was put upon Professor Bonnell. My
mother passed away the second session after our replacement Professor was
in force. I felt there was no way for me to continue the class as I had to miss
three consecutive sessions as my family is out of state. The new Professor
graded on a completely different scale than Professor Bonnell and had a
completely different outline of work to accomplish. I felt forced to drop the
class as continuing the class would be too difficult not knowing at such a late
stage in the semester what this new Professor expected. I would not have
dropped the course if Professor Bonnell had continued to be our instructor.
I knew what and how Professor Bonnell graded and had already done
additional work to be turned in. I did not drop any of my other courses with
Macomb this semester after the loss of my mother.

I am very shocked in the college's actions against Professor Bonnell. I
usually do not take evening classes as my children are very active in extra
curricular activities. The only reason I took Eng. 260ke in the evening is
because I knew Professor Bonnell was teaching the course. I have had
Professor Bonnell before for other English courses and feet he is an
outstanding instructor. I can see the pure passion Professor Bonnell has for
all types of literature unmatched by any of my other instructors. I honestly
feel losing Professor Bonnell as an instructor will be a huge loss to the
college. I would recommend Professor Bonnell to anyone who really wanted
to enjoy learning about literature.

(signed)

Shelley L. Boroski

************************************************************************

May 12, 1999

I did not attend Professor John Bonnell's Poetry class on the night of February 1, 1999 because I enrolled in the class explicitly for his teaching methods. I had learned, during my previous encounters with him in English 122, which was in the Fall Semester, how to better express myself through the use of words. Upon hearing about his indefinite suspension, I decided, without any doubt or regret, to drop the class, realizing I would not be receiving the same drama and passion which Bonnell had exercised in the classroom. Professor Bonnell, in no way whatsoever, threatened students by telling them that he would lower their grades if they did attend class while he was serving his suspension; nor did he encourage students to skip the class by offering them extra credit points. Finally, Professor John Bonnell played no part whatsoever in the protest which took place on the night of Monday, February 1, 1999.

-Sean J. Renkert-

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May 11, 1999

Jennifer A. Kania
28026 Lorraine
Warren, MI 48093-4922

To Whom it may concern,

I was enrolled in the Spring 1999 semester of Professor John Bonnell's English 272 KC class.

I attended the classes prior to Professor Bonnell's suspension. I was never told by the professor to skip or not attend the classes during his suspension. I was also not told that if I skipped these classes I would [be] rewarded with points.

At no time was I ever told by Professor Bonnell that if I attended the classes I would be punished or penalized.

I attended the classes during his suspension, and I did not fear my grade was in jeopardy by doing so.

Sincerely,

(signed)

Jennifer A. Kania

************************************************************************

Traci Schriever
26108 Regency Club Dr. #6
Warren, MI 48089

May 11, 1999

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter regarding Professor Bonnell and Macomb Community College. During the period that Professor Bonnell was suspended from teaching at Macomb I did not attend class due to an illness. This in no way was in connection with Professor Bonnell threatening punishment to students if we attended. In fact, Professor Bonnell never said any such thing. On the contrary, Professor Bonnell did not even mention his suspension or the matters surrounding the suspension. It was hard not to know about it due to the vast media attention it gained the week prior to his suspension. Professor Bonnell never stated anything pertaining to rewarding students who did not attend class and he did not threaten, in any way, that a student would be punished for attending class.

A few days after the suspension, I received a phone call from a woman who said she was from Macomb Community College asking me these same questions. I answered them the same as what I have written here.

I felt that Professor Bonnell was an exceptional Professor and I feel that he should have been allowed to remain at the college. In the few class sessions I actually had with him he proved himself to be one of the best professors that I have had. I moved here from Indiana where I attended Purdue University and even along with the prestige that comes from a big ten college, I never came across a professor who seemed as dedicated and knowledgeable as Professor Bonnell. I was very disappointed when I found out that he would not be returning to our class.

Sincerely,

(signed)

Traci Schriever
English 271 Student
************************************************************************

May 12,1999

To Whom it may concern:

To the best of my knowledge Mr. John Bonnell did not give any instructions to
the class concerning his suspension.

The class was not told we would receive 'points' if we did not come to class
when Mr. Bonnell was under suspension. We had been told in the beginning of
the semester, we would receive points if we showed up for class and Mr. Bonnell
did not. This is assuming that he was sick or had an emergency

The class was not told we would be penalized for coming to class when Mr.
Bonnell was under suspension

The class was told that Mr. Bonnell would be under suspension for three days.
He told us. That is all he said. Naturally there were questions but he refused to answer.

Sincerely,

(Signed)

Jeanette Estridge

************************************************************************

May 9,1999

To Whom it may Concern:

My name is Denise Romanowski and I am currently a student at Macomb Community College. I was enrolled in Mr. John Bonnell's American Literature class at the time of his suspension. At no time prior to his suspension was there any discussion regarding any problems facing Mr. Bonnell. Once this information became public knowledge he stated that there was a gag-order placed upon him and he would not discuss the matter. In addition, Mr. Bonnell told the class the college would provide a substitute teacher while he was not in attendance. At no time was the class encouraged or threatened to skip. Furthermore, no points were promised for those students who elected not [to] show up.

Thank you,

(Signed)

Denise Romanowski
35837 Marina Drive
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312-4146
(810) 979-2119

************************************************************************

May 10,1999

To Whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter in response to learning that Professor John Bonnell is being blamed for my actions. Specifically, encouraging students not to attend class during his suspension from February 1, 1999 through February 3, 1999.

During class on January 26, Prof. Bonnell announced he would not be able to
teach the following week because of his suspension. A fellow student asked if the college would provide our class with a substitute, at which time Prof. Bonnell responded that he was not sure what the college's plans were. Another question was asked if we were required to attend class in Prof. Bonnell's absence, to which he responded that he could not dictate our actions as students. He also reminded us that his attendance policy gives extra credits to students who do go to class when he is not in attendance. This was the
end of this discussion, despite our many question, as Prof Bonnell indicated that he was required not to discuss his case at this time.

After leaving class that night, I thought about Prof. Bonnell's situation. My mind raced and I felt many, many emotions: anger, sadness, disappointment, disgust, and confusion. Most of all, disappointment. Having signed on for Englishl22 specifically to learn from Prof. Bonnell, and then being cheated out of the wonderful experience of learning from him, filled me with disgust. This prompted me [to] wonder if there was anything I could do to show the college that many students disagree with the way Prof. Bonnell was, and is, being treated. Therefore, I formed the idea to pass around an attendance sheet for my fellow students to sign on January 28, 1999. The attendance sheet was for the period of Prof. Bonnell's suspension February 1-3, 1999. Having obtained all of the student's signatures, and a few brief letters of support for Prof. Bonnell, I came to class on February 1 and handed in the letter to the substitute. I explained that the attendance sheet was to demonstrate our full support of Prof. Bonnell, and to demonstrate our protest of the disciplinary actions forced upon him. I felt, and still feel, that the act of circulating the attendance sheet was a positive one. I hoped that MCC would see this action for what it was intended for: support of a wonderful professor, and disagreement with how he was being treated.

Professor Bonnell is an exceptional asset to MCC. Each student fortunate enough to be educated from him should consider themselves lucky. His methods and language are different from most, granted. But in the United States, once the melting pot of the world, we should celebrate diversity. Not fight against it.

Sincerely,

Sherry Davis

******************************************************************

Audra MacDonald
23262 Deanhurst
Clinton Twp., Mi. 48035

To Whom it May Concern:

I was a student of Professor Bonnell during the spring term of 1999. 1 did not attend classes on February 1st or 3rd due to the fact that Professor Bonnell would not be teaching class on these days. I felt that a substitute teacher would not provide the same quality of teaching that I was receiving from Professor Bonnell. At no time did Professor Bonnell state that he would reward students for not attending classes on February lst or 3rd, neither did he state that he would punish students who chose to attend.

Sincerely,

Audra MacDonald

************************************************************************

May 9, 1999

Hi Professor Bonnell,

to answer your two questions:

1.) I did not go to the first week of class after J. Bonnell was suspended. It is because I thought we'd only have a substitute for a week, and I didn't want to bother with someone that would have no effect upon my grade.

2.) I never heard J. Bonnell say anything about rewarding those who skipped class or punishing those who went. He never said it to me personally, nor in class.

I hope this ordeal works out for you, and you get your job back, or at least the title that is justly yours.

Thanks,

Dara Lawrence

************************************************************************

To Whom It May Concern:

I did not attend class during the week of Mr. Bonnell's suspension for no other reason than this: I felt that suspending a well respected English professor because he used the vernacular language in his classroom was the most idiotic thing I had ever heard. In NO WAY was I bribed, threatened or otherwise persuaded by anyone in my decision not to attend class during that first week or during any other time. To my recollection, Mr. Bonnell never once addressed the issue of attendance in the classroom.

Jaime M. Black

************************************************************************

From: Richard, Nicole
Date: 5/11/99, 6:51 PM
Re: Statement

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a former student of John Bonnell at Macomb Community College. To the best of my recollection, Professor Bonnell (1) did not encourage the students in my class to skip class during his suspension, (2) did not state that anyone who did attend would be reprimanded or punished, and (3) did restate his attendance policy as provided to us on the first day of class, which was that if he missed a class, we would receive credit (either one-eighth or one-quarter point, I can't remember) for his inability to attend.

For the record, I would like to state that as a female member of the class, I did not feel uncomfortable or subject to any type of harassment due to language used in class or subject matter discussed.

Nicole M. Richard
ENG 121 LA
MON/WED 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

************************************************************************

From: Kelly Pierce
Date: 5/11/99, 12:12 AM
Re: J Bonnell statement from student

My name is Kelly Pierce and I was enrolled in ENG 271 KC with professor Bonnell. On his last day in class he announced that he would not be there the following week, but that there would be a substitute teacher. Mr. Bonnell did not encourage us to skip class. He said it was our choice if we wanted to attend or not. I did not attend those two days because he was not going to be there. I never heard him say to me or anyone else that we, the students, would be punished if we attended class that week. Nor did I ever hear him say that we would be rewarded if we did not attend class.

************************************************************************

On or about January 27, 1999, after class, some students and I were discussing Professor Bonnell's suspension from teaching. According to press accounts, we learned that he would be suspended for three days, and that he was banned from ANY discussing regarding his suspension. We were against Macomb Community College's decision and wanted to show some kind of support. We discussed what plan of action we should take and the consensus was to not attend class for the duration of the suspension. I approached Professor Bonnell and asked if he thought that would help, and all that we got from him was a shrug of his shoulders and a shake of his head. With his expression alone, I understood that he couldn't discuss the issue. The decision was ours to make. At no time did Professor Bonnell discuss anything regarding his situation, nor did he EVER give any sign of approval for missing class.

On or about February 8, 1999, 1 received a phone call from the human resources department's Peg MacTavish. Ms. MacTavish asked me a series of questions regarding Professor Bonnell. She asked if I had ever heard him state that he would give credit for not showing up for class, and I said, "no, I didn't." I went on to explain to her that I heard a student in my class say that, and I never heard it myself. I told her that if anyone heard Professor Bonnell announce credit for missing a class it would be me, because I am always the first to show and the last to leave. I then pointed out that on the first day of class Professor Bonnell did state that if he did not show up for class and his absences was unannounced, he would give some kind of credit. He then said, but you can ask anyone of my former students, "it almost never happens, so don't count on it." I told Ms. Mac Tavish that I could not even imagine Professor Bonnell saying that. I said, "think about it, Professor Bonnell has taught at Macomb for 32 years, he probably cares more about the students' education than they do." I added,"I can not picture him asking anyone to miss class."

(Signed)
Denise Walsh

************************************************************************

May 12, 1999

This is a letter regarding Professor Bonnell. The first two class dates that Professor Bonnell was suspended I did not attend class. He did not say he would punish us in any way if we did attend class on those dates in order to support him and he did not say he would reward us if we did not attend. On those dates, the reason why I didn't attend class was because I was protesting in support of him. On a short note, I feel that Professor Bonnell should not be fired. He should not have been suspended. I was not offended by his language in the class. This is a college. I'm an adult like the rest of his students. If I had been offended I would have said so. I was angry to find that he could not finish our class due to something that did not have any kind of impact on me. I had registered for the poems 260 class because I wanted Professor Bonnell as my teacher. I would have dropped the class when I found out that he was suspended but by that time it was too late for me to take another class in place of that one.

In reference to the so-called "gag order," (that violated the first amendment) Professor Bonnell did not violate it. A woman called my house to ask me questions. She asked basically if Professor Bonnell did in fact violate the so-called "gag order." I told her that he had not. I also answered her questions about the rewarding and punishing that she assumed Professor Bonnell had acted upon. I felt that her phone call and questions were uncalled for and inappropriate.

I have written this letter in the hope that it will help Professor Bonnell with his lawsuit. I hope that he gets his life back and is able to teach again. Thus, I hope that other students will have the chance to have him as a teacher in the near future.

B. J. Sukkar

**************************************************************************************

5-14-99

To whom it may concern:

My name is Paul Przybyl and I was enrolled in Prof. Bonnell's ENG 260 (poetry)
class in the Spring Semester of 1999. After I was informed of Prof. Bonnell's suspension
from teaching I was shocked. He told the class that another Prof. would take his place
until he returns--if he returns. I did not attend class after Prof. Bonnell's suspension
because I believed that no one was qualified enough to teach the class in the same
manner as Prof. Bonnell. So the next day I dropped the course.

I also want to state for the record that Prof. Bonnell did not in no way, shape, or
form imply that students would be "rewarded" for skipping class while Prof. Bonnell was
suspended, or that students would be "punished" for attending class during his
suspension.

Paul Przybyl, student at Macomb Community College
e-mail, [email protected]

************************************************************************

To:           John Bonnell
From:       Amelia McInnis, NET:[email protected] Date: 5/15/99, 2:41 AM
Re:           Message from internet

Mr Bonnell,

I did not attend class on February 2, 1999. 1 felt it would be pointless to attend. The class was engaged in a discussion and for a substitute to walk into the middle of it, lecture and never come back to class was ridiculous.

Per our phone conversation May 11th, you asked me if you had offered bonus points to the students if they skipped the class of your suspension. At that time I told you you had not offered any type of reward or punishment for attending class on February 2nd. It was later that night I recalled a mention of bonus points the class prior to your suspension but can not remember what they were in reference to. To the best of my knowledge they were not in regard to class attendance.

If you should require any further assistance from me please do not hesitate to contact me. I wish you luck in your endeavors.

Sincerely, Amelia McInnis

************************************************************************

To:        John Bonnell
From:    INTERNET:[email protected]
Date:     5/14/99, 4:16 AM
Re:        English 122

Mr. Bonnell,

I am sorry to know of everything you have been going through in regards to your suspension. Personally, I believe this all is unfounded and an atrocity. I very much enjoyed your class, having been a student during the spring semester of 1999. I find this entire ordeal completely senseless.

I am astounded that an adult found anything in your class to be offensive, as the words in question were never directed at anyone in particular, merely used as an expression for further discussion in class. In my class, you seemed to have everyone's attention, which is a critical part of educating your students.

In the time I was in your class, no one person was ever threatened by your words, actions, or attitude. You never said anything regarding attendance and grades related to your suspension, in fact you never talked about your suspension at all, although some of your students discussed it in class. We felt as though we had the right to know about this subject as it directly affected us as well.

I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this matter. If you need anything from me, please feel free to call anytime.

Sincerely,

Delleez Shoemaker

P.S. Ironically, my brother in law remembers you from his days at MCC, in 1980. He speaks very favorably of you as an educator.

************************************************************************

My name is Wayne Hukill and I was a student of Mr. Bonnell in English122 LA, which met on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

On the very first day of class I found Mr. Bonnell to be a very interesting and talented teacher as well as outspoken and to the point. The first nite of class Mr. Bonnell introduced himself to the class and then told us that his class would be dealing with literature and that this literature was from various sources and some of this may have adult content such as sexual themes as well as adult language. Mr. Bonnell further went on to say that if any student had concerns about such topics they should approach him at any time to discuss these concerns. Mr. Bonnell even said that if a student was uncomfortable with a subject they could see him at any time to discuss alternate work for the class. Mr. Bonnell also told the class that he uses profanity in the class and that if that was a concern for a student that they may speak to him about that at any time.

The class work consisted of reading assignments that the student was to read and then try to explain or analyze the author's writings. The students were to write out their analysis and turn it in before that essay would be discussed in class. During class we would take a work and read it line by line and discuss it line by line and attempt to see how an author used words to tell a story and how these words may have different meanings or lead the reader into a later part of the story.

I have never been a reader; that is, I do not read literature. I found books to be boring. In just a few classes Mr. Bonnell was able to change my attitude about literature. In my previous semester I took a class in art, also not a favorite or interesting subject. What I learned in this art class was how to look at a painting and see more than just the painting, I could see a story in a painting and also see how people could view a painting in different ways. Mr. Bonnell was able to get me to view literature in the same way. I found myself not only reading words but also seeing the story and realizing how we read the same words but extract different meaning. I was impressed at how during class discussion of the same work the students would all have different views about what the author was trying to say.

I was most impressed at how Mr. Bonnell was able to get an entire class to participate in class discussion. It is true tlat Mr. Bonnell used profanity in the classroom. However, the way in which he used it was to enhance his class discussions. He did not swear at the students.

Sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted advances or gestures toward another person. To stand in front of a class and use adult themes, which were not directed at a particular student, then, cannot be considered sexual harassment. The college first tried to accuse Mr. Bonnell of this crime; when it became clear that a crime had not been committed the college engaged in a witch hunt to somehow get Mr. Bonnell fired.

There are several problems that I have with the way that the college has handled this incident.

To start with, students are able to change classes at any time during the first week or so, Students can and do change classes if they do not like a teacher or think the class is going to be too hard for them. I have heard other students tell another student that a certain teacher is mean or too hard and they should transfer to another class. Students are able to change or even drop a class without penalty. Our entire class was told on day one that the class would contain adult themes and profanity. A student could then transfer to another class if they did not approve of such language; further, the instructor told the class that if later in the semester that they are uncomfortable with a subject they could do an alternate assignment and not come to class at all during that subject.

I do not approve of how the college treated the students during this process. The average age of the students at Macomb is 26 years old. This is far from being a child and as adults we are able to make our own judgement and decisions. At the time this took place I was 28 years old

At the beginning of February Mr. Bonnell was to serve a 2-day suspension. It has been said that Mr. Bonnell threatened his students with punishment if we came to class that day. This is not true. I do not take threats from anyone and I would have been in the dean's office to make a complaint had Mr. Bonnell threatened myself or anyone in the class. It was also said that Mr. Bonnell promised a reward for not coming to class; this is also not true. Mr. Bonnell told the class on day one that if at any time during the
semester he was not there for a class that the students that came that day would be given credit for coming to class. The week before Mr. Bonnell's suspension, Mr. Bonnell told the class that he might not be in class the following week pending the outcome of the school board meeting. A student asked if we would have a substitute teacher or would class be canceled. Mr. Bonnell did not know what would happen but stated that if we came to find class cancelled to just sign our names on an attendance sheet and that we would be given credit for coming to class. On the day of that class there was a substitute teacher there to teach for Mr. Bonnell. I informed the teacher that I did not approve of the suspension of my teacher and that I would not stay in the class that day; at that point I left the class for the day.

Upon returning to class at the next meeting, Mr. Bonnell again was not there. The substitute was there with a representative from the college who informed us that Mr. Bonnell might not be coming back to the class at all. We were then told that we could drop the class for a full refund of monies if done so by 2-12. The substitute teacher was unable to give the class any definite answers about when or if Mr. Bonnell would be back or what would happen to the grading system if he returned at a later date. This was a concern because the substitute informed us that she would not be conducting class the same as Mr. Bonnell and that her grading system was different from Mr. Bonnell.

On 2-10 the substitute was again asked about the return of Mr. Bonnell; she again was unable to give answers to the class. At this point I decided to drop the class. The college had given the students a deadline to drop the class by but was unable to give answers to the students.

At no time did Mr. Bonnell threaten students or make the environment hostile towards the students. In fact Mr. Bonnell is an excellent teacher who has the ability to teach. He is able to make the class fun and interesting and if he returns to Macomb I would sign up for a class with him.

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To:       John Bonnell
From:   INTERNET:[email protected]
Date:    5/11/99, 3:30 PM
Re:       Concerned Student

My name is Stacy Winclechter. I was enrolled in the spring semester, 1999, English 122LA. My instructor was Mr. Bonnell. My class met on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

I did not attend class on February 2, 1999, which was the first day of Mr. Bonnell's suspension. The reason I didn't attend class was because in the previous class (January 28, 1999), we were in the middle of a conversation pertaining to a story we had read, and there was no way that a substitute teacher could start up where Mr. Bonnell left off. I felt that it would be a waste of my time to attend class on the 2nd. I also knew that when Mr. Bonnell came back, he would pick up where he left off. A substitute teacher in an English class is just a time filler.

On January 28, 1999, the last day Mr. Bonnell was present in class, he DID NOT say anything regarding any student's attendance, or absence, on the 2nd of February, 1999. 1 heard the vicious rumor that Mr. Bonnell was giving extra credit to those students who would not attend class during his suspension. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNTRUE AND RIDICULOUS! On January 28, 1999, class was conducted in the usual manner, with nothing being said about Mr. Bonnell and/or any of the surrounding circumstances pertaining to his absence. The students in this class, on this day, learned about his pending absenteeism, when at 6:15 p.m. (15 minutes before class was to begin, and MR BONNELL WAS NOT IN CLASS, AND HE WAS UNAWARE THAT SHE WAS IN THE CLASSROOM), a prior student of Mr. Bonnells entered the classroom and informed everyone of the situation.

Sometime in the middle of February, I was contacted by phone by a lady in administration at Macomb Community College. This lady, whom I do not recall her name, asked me questions regarding January 28th's class. She asked me whether Mr. Bonnell had told the class they would get extra credit for not attending class during his suspension. She also asked many questions as to what w[ent] on during the class. Her questions were structured - and seemed obvious to me that she was only looking to "dig up dirt", and disregard anything positive said about Mr. Bonnell. I also asked her some questions because I was concerned whether or not Mr. Bonnell was to return to class. She said that she would have someone contact me, which never happened.

I am very disappointed in Macomb Community College's action in this matter.
I feel, as a student, that my education was of no concern to the college. I feel that the college knew full-well what their intentions were for Mr. Bonnell. With that in mind, why would they start the semester with him teaching, knowing that he would not finish the semester????? It's difficult for students to have 2 different teachers, with 2 different sets of curriculums. Mr. Bonnell had the class.set up; everyone knew what was expected of them. Then, a new teacher enters, expectations unknown - a whole new ball game. I also feel that it was unfair that the college did not inform the students of whether or not Mr. Bonnell was going to return. I pay good money for a good education - and I surely did not expect or want this to happen.

************************************************************************

To:      John Bonnell
From: INTERNET:[email protected]
Date:   5/14/99, 4:28 PM
Re:      Patrick Akerley Letter

May 14, 1999

To Whom It May Concern:

I was a student in Professor John Bonnell's English 271 class at Macomb Community College for the Spring 1999 semester. When I was informed that Professor Bonnell would be suspended for three days in February, I was concerned with the fact that two of the three days fell on our class schedule (Feb. 1st & Feb. 3rd). Since I was attending full time, I could not afford to fall a week behind on work for Professor Bonnell's class. I asked Professor Bonnell on his last day before the suspension (Jan. 27th) whether or not class would continue in his absence and if we were required to attend. Professor Bonnell responded with an unbiased answer: "I am sure the college will provide a substitute in my absence and whether or not you decide to attend class is totally up to you." I attended one of those "substitute sessions" and decided to drop the course due to the drop in the level of professionalism and academic quality that was being provided by the college
in Professor Bonnell's absence. When I found out Professor Bonnell would not return for the semester, I chose to do an independent study to replace the credit hours I lost in this folly.

I had the pleasure of having Professor Bonnell for English 122 the previous semester, and I have the utmost respect for him as an educator and a human being. He treats his students as "fellow students of literature" and creates a creative "think tank" atmosphere in his classroom. He values every student's ideas and opinions, even when they are in contrast with his own, and never discourages anyone from expressing themselves.

Please feel free to contact me at: (810) 445-0668 if you have any questions regarding my experience in either of Professor Bonnell's English classes that I have attended.

Sincerely,

Patrick Akerley

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