William Felkner at the offices of his Ocean State Policy Research Institute on the East Side of Providence. Felkner has sued the Rhode Island College School of Social Work, saying it has discriminated against him in retaliation for his conservative views.

The Providence Journal / Kris Craig

PROVIDENCE — From the beginning, the relationship between William Felkner and the Rhode Island College School of Social Work has sounded like the screech of chalk on a blackboard.

As a newly enrolled student in 2004, Felkner, a free-market conservative, says it became clear that he would have to transform himself into a left-wing ideologue before he could get a master’s degree.

Felkner’s professors argue vehemently that he’s gotten his facts wrong — especially in assessing the core values of the curriculum, which are drawn from the code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, based in Washington, D.C.

Both the code and the RIC curriculum emphasize the role of social workers in pursuing “social justice” for the “vulnerable and oppressed” members of society.

Felkner, 45, says that means expanding government programs — something he opposes as a libertarian who tries to be self-reliant.

Spokeswomen for the NASW say that social justice can mean many things, but a major component of social work is assisting those who have trouble fending for themselves because of psychological problems.

Felkner has filed a lawsuit against Rhode Island College that revives arguments from conservatives who have assailed the NASW code of ethics, the profession of social work and the structure of academic programs in schools of social work across the country.

Emily Brooker, a student at Missouri State University, won an out-of-court settlement in 2006 after she alleged in a civil-rights complaint against the school that her course work required her to be an advocate for the right of homosexuals to adopt children.

Like Brooker, Felkner claims he was told he had to be an advocate for “progressive politics” to fulfill the requirements of his concentration in social work policy and organizing.

Felkner, who had gone straight from high school into the pet food business, says he had never given a thought to political activism until he changed course in his life and became a college student at age 35.

His thinking evolved until he realized that he had found his calling through the branch of social work that teaches community organizing, Felkner said.

Unable to find employment after spending well over two years pursuing a master’s degree, Felkner, in effect, created his own job by launching a conservative think tank, the Ocean State Policy Research Institute, which employs him full-time as its executive director.

Felkner’s lawsuit says the RIC School of Social Work discriminated against him by penalizing his grades, filing ethics charges against him, delaying his graduation, and denying him the opportunity to work on welfare reform in the governor’s office — all in retaliation for his conservative views.

His conflicts with RIC have been cited by Washington Post columnist George Will, who accused the NASW of promulgating a surreptitious political agenda.

Felkner describes himself as a “conservative libertarian” who generally opposes the expansion of government welfare programs and believes “the market economy serves as the best aid to persons of every socioeconomic class, including the poor.”

NASW officials counter that their code of ethics does not prescribe expansion of government programs, although the two may go hand in hand, depending on the situation.

NASW general counsel Carolyn Polowy says she can’t comment specifically on Felkner’s lawsuit.

However, she says, “There is no specific political agenda.”

Dawn Hobdy, manager of the NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review, says the code addresses the role of social workers in helping people who are “vulnerable in their ability to help themselves.”

Polowy adds: “Social work is devoted to improving society,” by addressing the needs of people challenged by poverty or other circumstances.

Felkner, meanwhile, says he too was motivated by a desire to “make the world a better place” when he enrolled in the School of Social Work in 2004.

But a few weeks into his social work policy and organizing class, his complaint says, he spotted trouble: a classroom screening of a Michael Moore film highly critical of President Bush, Fahrenheit 9/11.

His complaint about the film prompted an e-mail from his professor, former adjunct faculty member James Ryczek. “Social work is a value-based profession that clearly articulates a socio-political ideology about how the world works and how the world should be,” Ryczek wrote.

While Ryczek said he wanted to promote an open debate in class, he acknowledged his own liberal leanings.

“I revel in my biases,” Ryczek wrote. “So I think anyone who consistently holds antithetical views to those that are espoused by the profession might ask themselves whether social work is the profession for them.”

RIC says that incorporating NASW standards in the study of social work “can no more be considered political indoctrination than can a medical school’s adherence to the Hippocratic Oath.”

RIC argues that Felkner equates his right to free speech with “a claim to be able to create his own curriculum, something which is not constitutionally guaranteed.”

And the school said it has “bent over backwards to address the unreasonable demands of a fussy and difficult student.”

Felkner’s complaint said he was “troubled” by Ryczek’s “I revel in my biases” e-mail, as well as a similar message from another professor.

He posted both messages on a Web site he created to “catalogue his experiences of liberal bias at the college.”

In spring 2005, Felkner posted a transcript of a conversation he had recorded between himself and Prof. Roberta Pearlmutter — without her knowledge.

The college Committee on Academic Standing later found that the recording made without Pearlmutter’s knowledge violated a provision of the NASW ethics code, which says social workers must not “participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.” .

As a result, Felkner agreed, in writing, to refrain from such recordings at RIC in the future.

Part of his lawsuit seeks reversal of the ethics finding.

Felkner and the School of Social Work parted ways last year after Felkner ran out of time to submit a final paper that was acceptable to the college.

Most students use information from their experiences in the field as part of their research project. But that proved problematic for Felkner.

The School of Social Work maintains about 200 field placements where master’s degree candidates may practice in the field under the supervision of a licensed social worker.

But in 2005, Felkner sought a placement not on the list — the Governor’s Policy Office, where he sought to study welfare reform.

Felkner claims one professor refused to allow him to do the internship because the teacher wanted to minimize any conflict between RIC and the governor’s office.

The School of Social Work and its advocacy arm, the Poverty Institute, favored an “education first” approach to welfare, arguing that training helps recipients land higher-paying jobs in the long run.

Carcieri wanted a “work first” program to require recipients to get jobs as a condition of receiving relief.

In an affidavit, the professor denied barring Felkner from the field placement. According to documents filed with the court, RIC made special arrangements for Felkner to work in the Governor’s Policy Office during the 2005-2006 academic year under the supervision of Jayne Hayward, former Secretary for Health and Human Services — and a licensed social worker.

Felkner got high marks from Hayward for his work, in which he helped prepare policy papers for Governor Carcieri.

But the college would not accept a final paper based on Felkner’s field placement because it did not incorporate any social work practice as required by the master’s degree program.

Carcieri ultimately did sponsor a “work first” welfare bill. The bill received General Assembly approval in June. The new law is still in an implementation phase.

In an interview, Felkner said he enrolled in the School of Social Work because he initially sought to become a therapist. As his studies progressed, he said, he realized that policy and organizing “was my calling.”

He pursued the study of social work because “the community organizing track” of that field “teaches you how to organize a movement,” Felkner said.

Recalling his years in the pet food business, Felkner said, “I always wanted to do more than sell things.”

He crisscrossed the country in various sales and entrepreneurial positions until he married a Rhode Islander and settled in Hopkinton when he was in his mid-30s. He and his wife have three children ranging in age from 1 to 7.

Felkner received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from RIC in 2004 and moved on to the School of Social Work.

Litigating perceived injustice is “part of the big picture” of redirecting society, Felkner said. Recently, Superior Court Judge Patricia Hurst turned down a bid by RIC to have Felkner’s lawsuit thrown out without consideration.

gmacris@projo.com