When I was in 9th grade I had a similar experience with a social studies teacher. During a discussion about communism the teacher stated that the ideology was conservative.  To this the class behaved like the sheeple they were, and I have to admit the teacher was intimidating.
Being all of fourteen, I don't know where the knowledge came from or what made me so sure.  I disagreed with the teacher, only one person, a good friend, supported me.  The teacher went so far as to take a vote, intended to show me that what the majority beleives must be true.
That night I went to the library and looked it up, confirming that I was right and the teacher was wrong. 
The next day I brought the subject up in class, showed the documentation.  Guess what the teacher did? He refused to accept my rebuttal, even had another vote, which resulted the same way.
Whether the man was just stupid or trying to instill his concept of ideal government, I do not know.  What I did learn is that my instincts were right, and the majority could be wrong.  Reeaffirmed was my already present belief that some teachers have no interest in knowledge
This article reminds me of that revelation.
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