When Michael Fischler retired in 2017 after 50 years of dedicated service to the Plymouth State College Community he was at the height of his career, when a firestorm erupted over allegations against a former graduate student for whom he (along with dozens of other former teachers and mentors) had written glowing recommendations. He did nothing wrong but the toxic atmosphere on campus and a timid board of trustees allowed a
What followed was a three-year struggle to assert his academic freedom and civil rights - with help from nationally acclaimed civil rights attorney John Meyer. Just when life should have become simpler. Mike Fischler was faced with the challenge of a lifetime. Today, with the worst of it behind, he reflects on his life and - for the first time - on the trauma that almost derailed his legacy.
Michael L. Fischler lives in Holderness and is professor emeritus in the Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology at Plymouth State University, where he taught for 50 years.
Fischler has made numerous contributions to PSU, PSU students, and the PSU community over the course of his long and distinguished career. He has served on PSU’s Homophobia Task Force, on the President’s Commission on Diversity, and as an advisor to the Black Student Union and Tau Omega sorority. His research interests include cultural diversity, intercultural communication, social behavior, psychological counseling, multicultural education, and prejudice reduction.
The plaque credits Fischler for the Center’s founding and for the inspirational lessons he taught during his 50-year teaching career.
