Gay Cal Poly student accuses Mike Winn of homophobia

May 27, 2016
Mike Winn

Mike Winn

Cal Poly professor and former and Nipomo CSD director, Mike Winn, told a queer student and diversity activist that gay marriage is a “grave moral mistake” and that gay people suffer in the afterlife, according to a Title IX discrimination complaint filed against the university. Cal Poly officials then lied to the student, falsely stating that Winn had retired, the complaint alleges. [Tribune]

In Feb. 2015, political science student McKinley “Mick” Bruckner was taking Winn’s communication studies class. Bruckner met with Winn one-on-one in the professor’s office where they discussed a speech the student was preparing.

Bruckner told Winn he was planning on giving a speech on the persecution of gays and lesbians during the Holocaust. Winn reportedly voiced skepticism that gays and lesbians were targets of the Holocaust.

Winn also told Bruckner that his speech would be biased because he is gay and that he has never heard a homosexual man give a good Christian viewpoint on homosexuality. Bruckner said he never told Winn that he was gay. Rather, the professor assumed it.

Eventually, Winn allowed Bruckner to give a speech on the treatment of homosexuals during the Holocaust. But, Bruckner said Winn made him very uncomfortable and made it so that he did not ever want to go to class.

Mick Bruckner

Mick Bruckner

Bruckner first complained about Winn to College of Liberal Arts administrators the day after his meeting in the professor’s office, he said. Administrators said it would be better for them to handle the situation informally than to go through the university’s Title IX process. Bruckner continued to speak with administrators over a period of several months.

On Nov. 19, Bruckner received an email from Penny Bennett, the associate dean for student success in the College of Liberal Arts. The email stated Winn retired from Cal Poly and that was a good thing for the university and students.

The dean’s office essentially told him that Winn was forced to retire, Bruckner said.

But this spring, Bruckner ran into Winn on campus and learned he was still teaching at the university. Bruckner said running into Winn was so anxiety-producing because he had been placed in a weird, sticky position by administrators.

Earlier this month, Bruckner opted to file a formal Title IX complaint. Cal Poly has retained the state Attorney General’s Office to investigate the discrimination charges and has until Aug. 5 to respond to them.

Winn previously served as the president of the Nipomo CSD Board of Directors. In 2013, he applied for the District 4 SLO County supervisor seat that was vacated after the death of Paul Teixeira. Winn has described himself as a Christian and social conservative.

Photo from Mick Bruckner's Facebook

Photo from Mick Bruckner’s Facebook

Bruckner said Winn believed homosexuals were immoral and were going to hell. Winn also claimed to be a scholar on homosexuality and said he went to national conferences and debates to defend the moral high ground, Bruckner said.

During the current school year, Bruckner became an active participant and co-coordinator of the SLO Solidarity movement. SLO Solidarity has been demanding the Cal Poly administration do more to promote diversity on campus.


Loading...
35 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

“But this spring, Bruckner ran into Winn on campus and learned he was still teaching at the university. Bruckner said running into Winn was so anxiety-producing because he had been placed in a weird, sticky position by administrators.”


Bruckner needs to grow up. Academic freedom means ALL viewpoints have a right to be considered, even unpopular ones such as Winn’s opinion that homosexuality is a sin. Bruckner should have been a man and countered Winn’s opinions both in office hours and in class, rather than doing a weasel move and criticizing Winn through the backchannels of the University. As a person of deeply held right wing beliefs, I stood up to Professors in class, often stopping and interrupting their liberal positions and diatribes. Many Professors actually appreciated and respected me for doing so, as it kept them on their toes and represented a sound exchange of intellectual ideas.


It is also good for Bruckner to be exposed to Christian Conservative views like those held by Winn, because not everyone will agree with Bruckner’s Social Justice Warrior whining out in the real world.


“Queer”… whatever. Bruckner really “identifies” as a wimp.


Well, let us talk about cyclists. More bike lanes; OK. “Sharrows? Maybe. Now I see that some cyclists are demanding amenities at the end of their ride to freshen up. Actually alot of that is already there. What’s next? It seems to never stop.


I wouldn’t even want to think about what gay cyclists are demanding.


lol


Looks like Bruckner has been spending most of his time at Poly attempting to become a victim. I wonder which future employer would take a chance on him?


Unfortunately that has become a path to success for many in America. The victim path is a much easier road than hard work.


I’m sure there’s a nice public service job waiiting for him.


So if you’re not gay you can’t express your beliefs? Freedom of speech applies to all in this country. If you want to live under a fascist dictatorial form of government your in the wrong nation. Take that desire and leave.


Freedom of Speech is no longer welcome at Universities. Hate speech is only acceptable against christians and conservatives at a university.


Winn chooses to work for a government institution so he had better march in lockstep with the politically correct gestapo or he needs to pack his bags.


“Bruckner said running into Winn was so anxiety-producing because he had been placed in a weird, sticky position by administrators.” Welcome to the really world, full of anxiety, deceit and untold truths. Grow up and get in the real world and make a change.


I read yesterday where a private college ($35,000 annual tuition) had students [rp0tecting against getting grades because they were “tired”, “were too busy protesting”, and they had read the material and felt they should not have to take the tests. The millennials are having such difficult times in the real world and they are still in school. They are really in for a rude awakening!


How does this snowflake get through a normal day without shriveling up in horror at all the offenses around him? Apparently his Cal Poly education did not include teaching him what “phobia” means, either. Nobody is afraid of these cupcakes, just irritated that their 2.5% want to run the 97.5% of the rest of us. Just shut up and do your thing in private. Nobody cares.


“…Penny Bennett, the associate dean for student success in the College of Liberal Arts…”


What the hell does she do as the “associate dean for student success”, their homework, or perhaps lay out their clothes in the morning?


No wonder it costs an arm and a leg for a kid to get a college education these days.


Trust me I’m no Winn fan one way or the other but, this whole thing is about as strange as they come. Did Bruckner simply lose interest about his complaint then suddenly revive it?


The truth unfolds as the seasoned professor’s word against the poor abused Poly student’s word. Ultimately eating up the time and money of those who have better things to do.


Pretty clear that he felt, having been told that Winn retired, that he didn’t need to pursue his complaint. But then, finding he had NOT retired, Bruckner felt, as I am sure anyone would have felt, that he needed to follow up and continue the complaint. If Winn has taken a “moral” stand and is using it against a student’s best interest, he should be investigated.


He must finally realize he needs to pay off his student loans, might as well have the court system help.


1 2 3