I am currently enrolled in college.  I am taking an Anthropology class.  When covering religion witchcraft got a brief but very tainted covering.

Witchcraft

Indiviuals possess innate psychic power capable of causing harm, sickness, death

1/2 million killed in 15th -17th centuries because accused witches

common when societies are undergoing cultural upheavals

powerful way to control dysfunctional social behavior: periodic public scrutiny of behavior

Witch hunts: Salen 1692

1960's rebirth of Wicca cult , "neo-pagans"

So first is a portrayal of us in a negative light, saying we have dysfunctional behaviors, and than by use of the word cult taking away our status as a religion to just being a cult.
I have been open about my path for many years and have fought persecution for it. I have done so in hope that I could reach even a few to help make it so that one day others too will be able to say I am pagan and proud. This comes as a slap in my face, that a college would allow a class to define a religion by an ethnocentric view of it from the christian church. 
I ask any of you that may know, what legal ramifications can be taken on this. This is an outrage and I personally will not remain silent on the matter. I would like to know if there is a way to hold them responsible for this. It is very much a kin to if the used Hitler's definition for Jews to define Jews in the class, or the KKK's definition of African Americans to define African Americans.
With this type of thing being taught in our colleges it is no doubt that people still feel the need to be closed up about who they are.
Blessed Be

Bright Blessings
well when i heard about this i just had to write back and say HOLY LIBEIL SUIT BATMAN-i mean its articles like these in a college text book none the less that can only hurt those who wish to come out of the broom closet not to mention insult witches everywhere I can only hope this wasnt a up to date text book and if so WTF-in this day and age....wait a minute the bit  probably was; a i think u mentioned, written by some right wing christian bible thumping jimmy swaggert loving crazy witch hater.
tho not  ur exact words i sure u can sympathize. my first thought would be to try and tell ur professor and to tell the school administration-i know if I was there id be by your side with a bunch of fellow witches faster than our broomsticks could fly
keep me updated please

blessed be

contact these people and see what they can do about it...

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/

Aside from the obvious slander put forth by this text book, ifeel that my biggest petpeeve is found in the last line of the literature.
"1960's rebirth of wiccan cult"  let's look at this first as a religous matter. Wicca was fisrt introduced in the mid 50's by Gardner. Not only that but I am twenty years old and have been a witch for the past twenty years.  What I am gatting at is that the part that truly vexes me is the article says "rebirth" how in the name of *ENTER DARK FORCES NAME HERE* can you have a rebirth of something that never died.  If everybody in Europe began usng Latin as th commonplace language, that would be a rebirth.  In short, wicca is not a rebirth of an old religon rather the birth of a new one.

Legally in the state of Massachusetts Wicca, along with any of the older witchcraft religions are viewed as recognised religions. You may want to research what your state claims as legally recognised religions.

But first you might want to check yourself.  Why do you feel so upset by this? I bet it is because everybody you know is aware that you are pagan.  The only reason that we and our ways have survived this long is secrecy.  You can be proud of your heritage, of your religion don't get me wrong. however if you tell everybody, then everybody will know. And when everybody knows there will be those who dont like what you have to say and they will persecute you. Long story short... Dont tell people and you wont be persecuted.

Keep this in mind everybody on this website, all of the strangers I have never met know more about me than some of my family does, they know more about me than most of my friends do. Do you know why? Because the only people I open up to about being pagan is other pagans, because I know that I can trust them more than I can trust most of the world.  Shadows=Security; keep the shadows until you know your safe.

please let me explain myself, take nothing I say personally.  The way I was raised was more tradional than most. In my upbringing if you exposed yourself you were labelded a warolck and exiled from the family because if you expose yourself you expose those around you and that is dangerous for a small clan of witches.  And if you think exile is harsh back in our European days if you exposed yourself you were labeled a warlock and swiftly executed at the hands of the clan elder.  So, now hopefully you understand my position. Thank you.

You know, on second thought, here's something you could do.  You take everything your professor says about witchcraft with a grain of salt. Then you raise your hand and bring to light all of the evils and corruption found in the church.  All of the rape and murder, the forcable submission of innocent people to the church, and the threats of death and torture if people who didn't know anything didn't tell the church what they wanted to hear.  Here is something I found you can you use as a guide to what I am talking about.

Here come the Christian knights
Dressed in red and white
To bring the Holy Word and set the world alight
Here comes a plague of idiots blinded by their faith
Here comes the Inquisition to burn you at the stake
Here comes the Church of Madness
Bearing gifts of death and torture
Here comes the Church of Madness
Of Jesus Christ their Lord
The fire and the fury
To be our judge to be our jury
Here comes the Church of Madness
Of Jesus Christ their Lord
A new dark age descending, it's Torquemada's dream
Liberty lies raped, crushed, broken
Neath the Christian war machine
Nation after nation falling
In the shadow of the Christian sword
With death they bring the lore of love
Here comes the Church of Madness
Bearing gifts of death and torture
Here comes the Church of Madness
Of Jesus Christ their Lord
The fire and the fury
To be our judge to be our jury
Here comes the Church of Madness
Of Jesus Christ their Lord
What do they tell the people of their old crusades?
Of the women and the children
Impaled on Christian blades
Rejoice they say for we are saved
And we must sing the fight
Sing it till your lungs burst or they'll set you alight!
Here comes the Church of Madness
Bearing gifts of death and torture
Here comes the Church of Madness
Of Jesus Christ their Lord
The fire and the fury
To be our judge to be our jury
Here comes the Church of Madness
Of Jesus Christ their Lord.

Then when the prof. is standing there jaw-dropped you can say, "And witches displayed dysfuntional behavior, and periodic bouts of public scrutiny."
I hope this helps more than what I had to say last time.

I completely understand what you are dealing with. I am a Christiopagan who  follows both Neo-Wicca and the Cathloic faith. I get spat at for being a witch and a Cathloic. But I have chosen to rise above the situation. I plan on getting my doctorate in Anthropology and when I do I will make sure my college students never have to deal with what you have. Because even though there is a bad side to magick there is also a positive side. My choice to practice magick has empowered me and helped me to be a better person. If the textbooks do not wish to show this then I will show the students myself. . . even if it isn't in the curriculum.

i would say confront your professor, set him straight, and contact the publisher of your textbook and try and get them to take out the misled information and replace it with whats right.

Having dealt with the college heirarchy and the professors who believe whatever they say is law in their classroom, I would actually bypass the Professor completely. I would take the information presented in the class and the textbook straight to the administrator or Dean, present your case, and make sure to bring supporting legal evidence that it is incorrect. Colleges are stubborn about change, especially when most of those running them are Christian (a fact that the majority of our society is Christian- not a bash) and were raised with a lot of misconceptions. Also, before becoming angry, try to see it from a different perspective. Many people are raised in ignorance by parents ignorant of the true nature of witchcraft and its history. Be the pagan/witch who is understanding and compassionate and working to fight the ignorance, not the people who bear it.

Just my two cents. Hope it helps a bit.

Blessed Be,
  Taryn