My Con Law II student Trent England writes:

You might find interesting the scandal at my alma mater, Claremont McKenna College, where a professor has been [allegedly] caught trying to frame students with a fake hate crime.

CMC has a long tradition as an outstanding small liberal arts college focused on the study of government and economics. Politically, the faculty and students have been remarkably balanced, making CMC appear radically conservative relative to other institutions of higher learning. Recently, a new administration has tried to push the school to higher rankings by forcing it to become a typical left-wing college.

It seemed an outstanding stroke of luck for the administration when, in the midst of a push for greater "tolerance" and "diversity," a visiting left-wing faculty member's car was vandalized. Windows were smashed, tires slashed, and racist and anti-homosexual slogans spray painted on the professor's car.

There were sit-ins, a day of class was canceled, security was heightened, and the college president emailed all faculty, students, and alumni, to call for "regaining control of our community."

How very disappointed they were to receive the police report, which indicated that two eye witnesses identified the perpetrator as the professor herself.... It remains to be seen whether the CMC administration will still call for "the ultimate penalties under law" for what the professor herself called "a well-planned out act of terrorism."

The San-Diego Union-Tribune adds that "Police said [the professor] gave inconsistent statements during two interviews conducted jointly by the Claremont Police Department and the FBI. "

UPDATE: John Rosenberg had a lengthy post about this yesterday.