Last week I wrote here about the firing of Dr. Kenneth Howell who had the audacity, in a class about the Catholicism, to actually state Catholic doctrine about homosexuality. There has been enough of a furor since that the University of Illinois is acting, according to this story in the Chicago Tribune:
A faculty group at the University of Illinois’ flagship campus will review the decision to fire an adjunct religion professor for saying he agreed with Catholic doctrine on homosexuality.
Urbana- Champaign campus Chancellor Robert Easter said Monday he hopes to have a decision on the firing of Kenneth Howell from the Faculty Senate’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure by the time fall classes start. The review is to determine whether Howell’s academic freedom was violated.
“We want to be able to reassure ourselves there was no infringement on academic freedom here,” new university President Michael Hogan told members of the Faculty Senate on Monday. “This is a very, very important, not to mention a touchy and sensitive, issue. Did this cross the line somehow?”
Go here to read the rest. This is good news unless it ends in a white wash of this bigoted firing. The pressure must be kept up so that Dr. Howell is reinstated, and a clear message sent that Catholics are not going to tolerate this type of bigotry against them by a tax supported institution.
Agreed. This is not only a violation of academic freedom, it is a violation of religious liberty. Based on what I have read this decision does not just cross a line, it seeks to move the line to an unconstitutional place. A state university cannot fire a professor from the position of teaching Catholicism just because he actually believes in Catholicism.
(Guest comment from Don’s wife Cathy): Here’s a link to analysis of & commentary on the firing, from Illinois Family Institute:
http://www.illinoisfamily.org/news/contentview.asp?c=34946
If Dr. Howell really means what he said before that a student’s personal views do not influence the grade he gives (that is, the student can vehemently disagree with what the Church teaches, but will get an A if he correctly states what the Church in fact teaches), then he is a rare find indeed.
Here’s some good commentary from Dr. Jeff Mirus (CatholicCulture.com):
http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=668
Very good background on the firing from the author of Cosmos, Liturgy, Sex (who was fired by the same director who laid off Howell):
http://cosmos-liturgy-sex.com/2010/07/14/they-finally-won-background-on-ken-howells-firing/
Reference: Complete text of Dr. Kenneth Howell’s email to his students and the text of student complaint about Dr. Kenneth Howell’s email that resulted in his dismissal from UI.
Fascinating information and background at Cosmos, Liturgy, Sex Christopher. I had previously passed on to the local paper in Champaign-Urbana, the News-Gazette, that the author had information they could find useful. I do not know if they have done any follow-up.
[…] between the University of Illinois and the local Newman Center on campus. On July 14, I reported here that the firing was under review by a faculty committee of the University of Illinois. The […]
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