The Moses Riddle (Thomas McAllister 'Treasure Hunter' Adventure Book 1) by Hunt Kingsbury Read Free Book Online

the vine!”
“Wait, wait, wait ! Let’s not get off track here. You know our policy, Thomas, and until it changes, it’s still our policy. Everything has to be approved . Did you not go through the process with this because you knew it wouldn’t be approved?”
“I got that article out of The Journal two weeks ago. The Curriculum Review Board is not due to meet again for two and a half months! My class will be over by then. I’ve got a great group of kids this term. I wanted them to see the damn article!”
“Why not simply tell them where to find it in the Library?”
“Come on, Francis, you used to teach. I wanted them all to see it. Not just the one or two brown-nosers that would actually trudge over to the library to read it.”
Dean Washington lowered his voice. “Look, Thomas, this isn’t the first time. You were warned over the Dillinger incident, and then again three months ago when you showed that ridiculous video about where the lost city of Atlantis might be. That makes this your third infraction. The third time, it goes to the council.”
Thomas rolled his eyes. “Okay, when does the Disciplinary Council meet? I’ll go explain it to them myself.”
Washington hesitated, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In a voice of consolation he said, “This thing just isn’t working out.”
Thomas started to reply and then stopped. The words echoed in his head. “What do you mean ‘this thing?’ You mean me ? What do you mean, this thing, Francis?”
Washington sighed again. “The Disciplinary Council had an emergency meeting last night. They voted to suspend you indefinitely. They just . . . they’re just tired of the constant battle . You’re suspended immediately, under Article 252, of the School Board Provision: failure to get all classroom materials approved by the Curriculum Review Board, prior to distribution to the student body.”
“The constant battle? The constant battle ? You mean the constant battle to teach ? To get kids interested and to get them to learn ?” Thomas had risen from his chair to stand over the Dean’s desk.
“Call it what you want. Every professor here knows that if you break the rules three times in a row, you can be voted out. You’ve had fair warning, Thomas.” Washington shuffled papers on his desk.
Thomas fell back into his chair, flabbergasted at the extent the Council would go to uphold such a ridiculous rule. “Francis, come on. You know if I’m suspended indefinitely I’m as good as fired. Hell, I am fired. That goes in my permanent record. Why not ask me to resign?”
“They want to make a point with you. They don’t think what you’re doing is right. You’re breaking rules. They think a lesson early in your career will do you good in your next job. You cannot go on breaking rules.”
“These are rules that are meant to be broken! What I’m doing separates great universities from mediocre ones!”
Washington leaned forward, meeting Thomas’s glare. “Look, Thomas, things weren’t working out for you here anyway. When Brown delayed his retirement, that was only the beginning. We’re small here. Not used to bigger ideas. I think you’d be happier somewhere else.”
And that was when Thomas knew it was over. Washington had brought him in, believed in him, backed him. Washington had been his ally, but no longer. They’d gotten to him. Washington had become one of them.
Thomas stood, slightly dazed, and then turned and started to leave. He wanted to get out before he did something he’d later regret. He wouldn’t fully understand the impact of this crushing blow for days, but he understood enough for now.
When he was halfway to the door, he turned. “You sold me out, Francis. You let them railroad me. Didn’t you? You son of a bitch.”
“I’m in trouble, too, Thomas. I let this happen. Some say I let it go too far . . . that I should’ve had a better handle on what was being distributed to my student body.”
“It was a historical article