Here's an example of a tenured professor being fired for criticizing another teachers intolerance of heterodox opinions.
Marquette University is moving forward with its plan to fire a tenured professor over his criticisms of an instructor who wouldn't let any of her students speak out against gay marriage in class. The controversy is interesting for a couple reasons—a Catholic university is essentially punishing a professor whose views on gay marriage are perfectly aligned with church doctrine, for one thing—but most notably, raises important questions about the institution's commitment to academic freedom.
The professor, John McAdams, is known for espousing politically conservative views. He wrote on his blog about a situation involving an instructor named Cheryl Abbate who had told one of her students not to express opposition to gay marriage in class because that opinion was offensive. Abbate considered McAdams' blog post a mischaracterization of her position, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Soon enough, the university took action—against McAdams. Dean Richard Holz suspended him pending a review of his conduct and ordered him not to set foot on campus.
I recall talking to a church friend who was up for tenure at Washington University a decade ago. He explained that he was a lifelong Southern Baptist and political conservative but he doubted he could get tenure if this (he was a professor of legal writing which as a clinical area has no ideological content) were to be known so he joined my Presbyterian Church confident that none of the bigots could tell the difference between my (very conservative) church and run of the mill liberal Presbyterians.
Long story made short: he got tenure. Yet now it seems that in at least parts of our country you still can't speak as a free man and keep your tenured academic job. I guess Tenure is only for liberals and other left leaning things.
Thugs. A bunch of self righteous thugs.
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