Marquette University Anti-Gay?
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 16:48
Officials at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin are accused of discriminating against a woman based on her sexual orientation. The Jesuit school unexpectedly rescinded a job offer to professor Jodi O'Brien soon after she accepted. O'Brien, who is openly gay, teaches sociology at Seattle University. She was offered a dean position at Marquette.
Some faculty and students protested the decision, saying it was the university's reaction to O'Brien's published works relating to gay marriage and sex. Uh, shouldn't that have come up BEFORE offering her the position?
According to Marquette President Rev. Robert A. Wild, Jodi O'Brien's homosexuality was not a factor in the decision. School bigwigs have given various excuses for their decision, such as calling search procedures "flawed" and saying the offer was made "prematurely."
Perhaps most tellingly, Father Wild has said university leaders decided that O'Brien was unfit for the role after "further analysis" of her academic writings. Rev. Wild claims that she has made "strongly negative statements about marriage and family" that don't meet the standards of the Catholic university. But it definitely didn't have anything to do with her being gay, right? Nope, clearly no connection there.
O'Brien's homosexuality was never a secret, so the argument that this is only about sexual orientation is just plain weak. So did Marquette University simply rush its decision and not do its homework on the candidates? It has been searching for a new dean since 2007; it's not like it just decided a week ago that it better hurry up and hire one.
If 3 years wasn't enough time to thoroughly research its candidates, that school has a bit more to deal with than being close-minded.
A Theology professor at Marquette has asked the University's President, Rev. Robert Wild, to step down.
An excerpt from the fiery post on Firedoglake.com:
"The decision by a handful of administrators to break the oral contract with Dr. O’Brien a decision that broke all the canons of collegiality, was the worst decision made at Marquette in decades. In one act you managed to insult Dr. O’Brien, the Marquette faculty and student body, and the Jesuit Seattle University. You based your decision on an interpretation of what was or what was not compatible with Catholic teaching. However, you did not consult the faculty experts on Catholic moral teaching on this campus. The Theology Department is one of the major theologates in North America, just a few yards away from your offices. You ignored them as you also ignored teachers of ethics in the Philosophy department and professors in Sociology, Dr. O’Brien’s field...
As to the disastrous disinvitation of Dr. O’Brien: all blame may not reside with the president of Marquette, but the “buck stops” on your desk, Fr. Wild.. You should shoulder all the blame and make your already given notice of resignation effective immediately. Your pro tem successor should then re-invite Dr. Jodi O’Brien to be Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences."