Tell Marquette University: Stop Anti-Gay Discrimination in Hiring

[Ian David]

Tell Marquette University: Stop Anti-Gay Discrimination in Hiring


Targeting: Brigin O'Brien Miller (Director of University Communication) and Fr. Robert Wild (President, Marquette University)
Started by: Michael Jones

Marquette University has rescinded a job offer to a lesbian sociology professor, Jodi O'Brien, who has an outstanding record of scholarship and teaching experience. While the university has insisted that their actions weren't homophobic, the've gone on record saying that the Professor O'Brien's scholarship dealing with LGBT discrimination runs counter to the tenets of Marquette University.

That's a shame. Scholars who work on cutting-edge social issues should be welcome at all universities. Indeed, Marquette has recognized Professor O'Brien's scholarship and even recruited her for the job, before outside pressure came in to push the school to rescind the job offer, solely because of O'Brien's sexual orientation and work on LGBT issues.

A group of faculty (not to mention students) have put pressure on the University to get Marquette to issue an apology for their anti-gay behavior, but to reinstate the job offer to Professor O'Brien. If her scholarship and teaching experience were good enough to get her recruited for the position, then the University ought to be willing to stand next to her despite homophobic opposition.

Colleges and universities should be about making sure the best teachers succeed and touch the lives of students. Instead, Marquette's handling of this situation sent the message that LGBT teachers are not welcome at their university, and won't be in the future. Is that really the message Marquette University wants to send to the rest of the country?


More:
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_marquette_university_stop_anti-gay_discrimination_in_hiring

[RKP5637]

1. Did it! n/t

[tbyg52]

2. >>before outside pressure came in to push the school to rescind the job offer,

I will go tell them to get some guts.

[Lyric]

3. Signed

And shame on Marquette. I expect better from an accredited university.

K&R

[Divernan]

4. Marquette is a Catholic/Jesuit university w/conservative students/alumni

When I was an undergrad there, 15 credits of "philosophy" were required of all students. Listen to the lecture, never ask questions, memorize bits and pieces of Thomas Acquinas and vomit it back into your blue book at exam time. Then you can go out for the weekend tradition of guzzling lots of good Milwaukee beer. The great majority of my classmates were products of narrow-minded Catholic high schools. The student body was from very conservative Catholic families willing to pay far higher tuition to avoid exposing their kids to those free-thinking state universities. Why, they might marry a non-Catholic!

Once I got into graduate school at a good public university, I learned how slanted, narrow and distorted (particularly the history classes) my "liberal arts" education at Marquette had been. If you want your kids to build up a terrific tolerance for beer, but never challenge Holy Mother Church, than Marquette is the school for them.

I'm amazed an offer was ever tendered to this professor. OP writes:
"Colleges and universities should be about making sure the best teachers succeed and touch the lives of students. Instead, Marquette's handling of this situation sent the message that LGBT teachers are not welcome at their university, and won't be in the future. Is that really the message Marquette University wants to send to the rest of the country?"
Marquette doesn't care about the rest of the country, only that portion made up of old-fashioned, conservative Catholics.
Hopefully, this will boost applications to UW-Milwaukee.