College under fire for course tying IsPiais to JFK's death By MICHAEL GRANBERRY Los Angeles Times academic credit for the course. for the ADL. That's right. ... I be- MISSION VIEJO, Calif. — The 'Experts' incite derision lieve the ADL was behind it." South Orange County Community At the trustees meeting Mon- College District has approved a Gerald Posner, the author of day night, Frogue denied making course that claims a conspiracy "Case Closed: LeeHarvey Oswald the comment. was behind the assassination of and the Assassination of JFK," All of this has caused an uproar President John F. Kennedy and seemed aghast Wednesday at the on the district's two campuses. has committed $5,000 for flying in panel of speakers heading to Or Earlier this week, faculty members four guest speakers, one of whom ange County. lodged a protest with the school's says the Israeli intelligence "The harm is setting this in an attorney, charging that Frogue agency, Mossad, masterminded the educational environment, where it would violate state education killing. has an official stamp of approval," The course, scheduled for Sept. guidelines by teaching a course Posner said. "This strikes me as while also sitting as the board 26-28 and advertised by district lit- being similar to the notion that the erature as a "high-quality commu- Holocaust was a hoax." president, and by voting to approve nity education" offering, has an- Chip Berlet, who has studied a course that he will teach. gered some faculty members and the assassination extensively and "At the very least," Bauer said, others who say the board's deci- is a senior analyst at Political Re- "it's an egregious conflict of inter- sion subjects the college to search Associates, a nonprofit est," ridicule and endorses the agendas think tank in Somerville, Mass., Robert Lombardi, the district's of political extremists. that examines authoritarian chancellor, demurred, saying "All of this is out-and-out anti- thinking, laughed upon hearing Wednesday he had checked with Semitism," said Cheryl Altman, the names of the panel of experts. both the district's counsel and the chairwoman of the department of "Oh, get out of here!" Berlet Orange County counsel, and nei- reading at Saddleback Community said. "You couldn't find ... more ther saw a problem. College in Mission Viejo, which, embarrassing conspiracists in "I know there's a lot of passion along with Irvine Valley Commu- America. Even among conspiracy about this," he said, "but I believe nity College, is run by the district. theorists, these people represent The Anti-Defamation League, the outer limits." which formally opposed the course Some faculty members fear that at a trustees meeting Monday the course will harm the reputa- night, accuses one of the speakers, tion of the district. Washington author Michael "I am profoundly embarrassed colleges are places where people Collins Piper, of being a propo- that the president of our board of can have these kinds of special in- nent of Holocaust denial and la- trustees is a man who takes seri- terests. For instance, we also offer bels his claim that Israelis killed ously crackpots such as these," a course on California wines." Kennedy ridiculous. said Roy Bauer, a philosophy in- Piper, reached at The Spot- Another speaker, Chicago au- structor at Irvine Valley Commu- light's offices on Wednesday, said thor Sherman Skolnick, is, accord- nity College. he was excited about the course jig to the Anti-Defamation Last November, Frogue re- and his involvement in it, and he League, a member of the advisory ceived a bigger endorsement than commended Frogue, "a personal bOard of The Spotlight, which the any other candidate in the district, friend," for having offered it. otgani7ation called "the most anti- garnering 128,-361 votes in a re- The author of "Final Judgment: Semitic publication in America." election bid for a decisive 61 per- The Missing Link in the JFK As- : Steven J. Frogue, the president cent to 39 percent victory over his sassination Conspiracy," Piper ex- of the community college district's opponent. plained his views. seven-member board of trustees — Frogue did not return calls The assassination, he said, "was who cast the tiebreaking vote to from the Las Angeles Times but a joint enterprise conducted on approve the course — will also said during an interview last fall the highest levels of the American teach the three-day seminar, albeit that he believed the Anti-Defama- CIA, in collaboration with orga- free of charge. Frogue said the tion League played a key role in nized crime — and most specifi- $5,000 allocated to the speakers killing Kennedy. cally, with direct and profound in- will come not from taxpayer Calling the Anti-Defamation volvement by the Mossad." money but solely from the $99 fees League "a group of spies that ac- Piper assessed Israel's motive as being charged the students who tively keeps files on people peo- having evolved from a dispute be- take the course. _ ple like me," Frogue added, "I be- tween Kennedy and the late David Frogue also noted at the meet- lieve Lee Harvey Oswald worked Ben-Gurion, the former Israeli ing that no student will receive prime minister. Colleges add JFK conspiracy class ing that no student will receive aca- Seminar decision demic credit for the course. Gerald Posner, the author of Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald angers faculty and the Assassination of JFK, Los Angeles Times r d 4 411' q seemed aghast yesterday at the pan- el of speakers heading to Orange MISSION VIEJO, Calif — The County. South Orange County Community "The harm is setting this in an College District has approved a educational environment, where it course that claims a conspiracy was has an official stamp of approval," behind the assassination of Presi- Posner said. "This strikes me as dent John F. Kennedy and has com- being similar to the notion that the mitted $5,000 to flying in four guest Holocaust was a hoax." speakers, one of whom says the Chip Berlet, senior analyst at Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, Political Research Associates, a non- masterminded the killing. profit think tank in Somerville, The course, scheduled Sept 26- Mass., and who has studied the 'as= 28 and advertised by district litera- sassination extensively, laughed ture as a "high- when hearing quality commu- the names ex- nity education" "I believe Lee Harvey ports. offering, has an- Oswald worked for the "Oh, get out gered some fac- of here!" Berlet ulty members ADL. That's right. I said. "You and citizens who believe the ADL was couldn't find say the board's behind it." four more em- decision subjects barrassing con- the college to Steven Frogue spiracists in ridicule and en- college board president America. Even dorses the agen- among conspir- das of political extremists. acy theorists, these people represent "All of this is out-and-out anti- the outer limits." Semitism," said Cheryl Altman, Some faculty members fear the chairwoman of the department of course will harm the reputation of reading at Saddleback Community the district. College, which, along with Irvine "I am profoundly embarrassed Valley Community College, is run by that the president of our board of the district. trustees is a man who takes seriously The Anti-Defamation League, crackpots such as these," said Roy which formally opposed the course Bauer, a philosophy instructor at at a trustees' meeting Monday night, Irvine Valley Community College. accuses one of the speakers, Wash- Last November, Frogue re- ington author Michael Collins Piper, ceived a bigger endorsement than of being a proponent of Holocaust any other candidate in the district, denial and labels his claim that Is- garnering 128,361 votes in a re- raelis lolled Kennedy as ridiculous. election bid for a decisive 60.7 per- Another speaker, Chicago au- cent to 38.7 percent win over his thor Sherman Skolnick is, according opponent. to the ADL, a member of the adviso- Frogue did not return calls from ry board of The Spotlight, which the the Los Angeles Times, but said organization called "the most anti- during an interview last fall that he Semitic publication in America." believed the Anti-Defamation Steven Frogue, the controver- League played a key role in killing sial president of the community col- Kennedy. lege's seven-member board of trust- Calling the Anti-Defamation ees — who cast the tie-breaking vote League "a group of spies that active- to approve the course — will also ly keeps files on people ... people teach the three-day seminar, free of like me," Frogue added, "I believe charge. Frogue said the $5,000 allo- Lee Harvey Oswald worked for the cated to the speakers will come from ADL. That's right ... I believe the the $99 fees being charged the stu- ADL was behind it" dents in the course. At the meeting Monday night, Frogue also noted at the meet- Frogue denied making the comment .