A Denver-area college professor who is being accused of bias--and of letting students be bullied and harassed in class over their political views--now is drawing the scrutiny of some prominent lawmakers in the State Capitol.

The Republican legislators are demanding immediate corrective action be taken in the wake of allegations by students that Metro State College adjunct Professor Andrew Hallam told his English Composition students to write an essay critical of Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin. As reported this week by Denver's KCNC-TV Channel 4, students are also accusing Hallam of singling out Republican students and holding them up to ridicule by classmates.

Students also are saying that Hallam, who has declined to comment to the news media amid the uproar, is known for his expletive-laced, political diatribes. According to the Website worldnetdaily.com, he once declared, "(President George W.) Bush-bashing is one of my favorite things to do." The allegations have left lawmakers shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Good grief, this is supposed to be an English class," said the GOP's Sen. Mike Kopp, of Littleton. "Once again, it looks like an academic at a publicly supported college in our state is using his classroom as a soapbox for his personal politics. And he is trampling on students' free speech in the process--actually telling them what opinions they are allowed to express."

Added Kopp, "Given the high cost of tuition these days, you would think these students--and their parents--could expect more for ther money."

"This just gives higher education in Colorado another black eye in the wake of the Ward Churchill fiasco," said Penry, a graduate of Grand Junction's Mesa State College.

"If the allegations are true, Hallam is not only being unfair to his students but also to his fellow faculty members," Penry said. "This only serves to overshadow all of the quality instruction at our state's colleges and universities. I imagine a lot of the faculty would be offended by such classroom behavior. As a graduate of our state college system, I'm infuriated by it."

Hallam's assignment to students stated in part:

Kopp and Penry said their concern isn't with Hallam's politics but with his abuse and misuse of class time.

"The real fairy tale here is that these students are getting the education they are paying for," Kopp said.

In the face of a backlash, Hallam reportedly has revised his assignment to apply to other presidential and vice-presidential candidates.