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ColesCountyDem (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:24 PMOriginal message University of Illinois instructor fired over Catholic beliefs URBANA (AP) - The University of Illinois has fired an adjunct professor who taught courses on Catholicism after a student accused the instructor of engaging in hate speech by saying he agrees with the church's teaching that homosexual sex is immoral.The professor, Ken Howell of Champaign, has taught at the university for nine years. He says his firing violates his academic freedom.A professor at the university who is also president of the American Association of University Professors agrees. Cary Nelson says teachers are allowed to express their own beliefs.University spokeswoman Robin Kaler declined comment because Howell's firing is a personnel issue.The student had a friend register his complaint and has remained anonymous.http://www.thesouthern.com/news/local/education/article... Discuss.
izquierdista (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:28 PMResponse to Original message 2. Courses on Catholicism Should be in the same category as courses on voodoo, shamanism, mythology, dowsing, and a bunch of other subjects Penn&Teller have covered.
MedicalAdmin (73 posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:45 PMResponse to Reply #2 17. Regardless of your personal feelings on the course content ... ... this is a very bad sign for academic freedom. A professor was asked a question and answered it. And for that he was fired. Think about that for a moment and then apply the same standard of firing to a professor of any other subject for voicing an opinion on a subject they are an expert in. Despite what many believe regarding the subject matter, this firing is concerning. And that the firing was done without due process or a chance to address ones accuser is very disturbing. What if the complaint was not filed through a friend but rather was filed by some kid who decided to see if he could punk the system just to get a Catholic. How is this different that the firing of Jews in German Universities in the 1930s?
bluestateguy (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:31 PMResponse to Original message 3. This is why tenure is important To protect people with unpopular views (not just unpopular liberal views, but all unpopular views). Unless he stood up in the classroom and ranted something like "I hate ****ing fudgepacking faggots!!!" (which would be a form of harassment), then his speech is protected, if he simply said "I believe homosexuality is immoral". Then again, adjunct professors have no job security--even less than an Assitant Professor without tenure--making this a very easy thing for a university to do and get away with it. And of course the student complainer was too much of a coward to come forward with his name.
closeupready (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:33 PMResponse to Reply #3 7. so you think Howell's whining is persuasive? How so?
xchrom (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:31 PMResponse to Original message 4. Hiding behind the church - which happens to be using gay men As scape goats at this time - is hate speech.
closeupready (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:32 PMResponse to Original message 6. I'm not persuaded it has anything to do with academic freedom whatsoever. Sorry. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, stop whining and move on!
KonaKane (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-09-10 04:36 PMResponse to Original message 11. Pfff, that isnt about academic freedom at all. I stick up for religious people as a matter of course, but this guy is indefensible. His opinions on homosexuality and sin have nothing to do with his academic profession and therefore need to be kept out of the institution and certainly out of the faces of his students.His firing is entirely correct and hopefully will stand as a cautionary tale to any others who are prone to similar abuse of their academic standing.
"The nation that couldn’t be conquered by foreign enemies has been conquered by its elected officials" odawg Free Republic in reference to the GOP Elites who are no difference than the Democrats
Ward Churchill ring a bell DUmbfuks.
