Valley professors address Ferguson events in classroom

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- While the country reacts to the grand jury's decision in Ferguson, Mo., local colleges are bringing the issues of race and law into the classroom.

Fresno State professor Shane Moreman knows students in his intercultural communication class were watching as the grand jury decision was announced and Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson was not indicted for shooting and killing 18-year-old Michael Brown.

"How can we deconstruct or take apart what happened last night and think about it in intellectual ways that will help us also move toward hopefully something like that never happening again?" said Moreman.

Moreman had his students re-watch President Barack Obama's speech following the Ferguson decision and the specific words he used.

"What his charge was, how he came out to try to create peace in the United States but also say something meaningful," said Moreman.

Just a few hundred yards away, students at Fresno State wore black and gathered at the campus' free speech area for a peaceful discussion.

And in Clovis, at the San Joaquin Valley Law College, professor Phillip Cherney made sure the events in Ferguson were addressed in class Tuesday.

"I thought the prosecutor did a very good job of detailing the process to the public so the public would understand how it works," said Cherney.

Cherney says bringing current cases into the classroom keeps the centuries-old law they're studying relevant.

"I've sort of found that doing current events is good way to keep in touch with how the criminal law applies to the day-to-day application," he said.

"It's a good thing he talked about it in class and addressed what was going on," law student Jas Gill said.