So Andrew Hallam is off the hook. The Metro State English instructor who lugs his politics and foul mouth into the classroom "has not violated any college policies," to use the antiseptic phrase of the official report on his conduct.

To be sure, the report admits, Hallam did tell his students earlier this semester that "Bush-bashing is my favorite thing to do." He did inform them that "the F-word is one of my favorite words." He did indulge in "a small number of brief, disparaging quips about President George Bush or his administration" in the few weeks of class that were under scrutiny, although we are not told what that "small number" might be or why we should be pleased that Hallam only bashes Bush, say, during every third class as opposed to every third minute.

Our exonerated instructor did use "vulgar language" such as "bull----" on occasion - but you will be relieved to learn that it was "not sufficiently memorable that anyone recalled particulars." He did ask Republican students to identify themselves (in an English class!) and when they did, another student "uttered an obscene insult, and a Republican student replied in kind." Hallam then failed to rebuke even the instigator, but don't judge him too harshly, the report suggests. After all, "Mr. Hallam indicated that he did not hear the insults."

Finally, Hallam did assign his students to write an essay about the "idealized, fairy-tale image" of Gov. Sarah Palin, and to "explain how these sources may undermine or otherwise paint a different picture of Palin than what she or the Republican Party may wish the American public to believe" - but rest assured that this assignment "was directly within the scope and purpose of the class syllabus."

To be fair, the five-page report is not the full-blown whitewash it may seem; much of it is thoughtful, if not always persuasive. Its authors, deputy provost Luis Torres and general counsel Lee Combs, even manage a serious argument for why such an assignment on Palin might be justified - noting, for example, that one of the course's two texts is about fairy tales.

They are also correct that the assignment did not literally require that the essays savage Palin. But who could possibly blame a student for reaching that conclusion given the way Hallam brandishes his political views?

Torres and Combs concede that point, too, which is why they recommend Hallam "receive mentoring and training in best practices for establishing and maintaining the appropriate professional boundaries with first-year undergraduate students."

He will not be disciplined, though - this in keeping with academia's tradition of yawning at unprofessional behavior of this sort. What besides a professor's immaturity and preening self-indulgence would compel him to regale his English students with his political views anyway?

Still, maybe something good will come from this after all. According to Metro's electronic news bulletin, President Stephen Jordan will now require all newly employed faculty to participate in an orientation "session on maintaining appropriate political balance in classroom discussion and assignments, particularly when the course is not related to politics."

Most new faculty will understandably be insulted by such a requirement, yet what do they expect when the likes of Hallam disgrace the profession?

Vincent Carroll is editor of the editorial pages. Reach him at carrollv@RockyMountainNews.com.