John McAdams: Daniel McGuire Letter

Professor Daniel McGuire, Marquette University, weighs in on the John McAdams case.

Background:

Marquette: Gay Rights, Academic Freedom, Free Speech

Marquette Harasses John McAdams

John McAdams: Michael Lovell and Marquette Fire Back

Marquette vs. McAdams Story: National

Cheryl Abbate Leaves Marquette

Je Suis John McAdams

Marquette's Inexcusable Abuse of John McAdams

From The Academe Blog, here's a portion of a letter from Dr. Daniel McGuire to Marquette University President Michael Lovell:

The sanction you imposed is not just a “severe sanction.” In almost half a century in the academe, I have never seen a similar punishment imposed on a professor in this “blunt instrument” fashion. The banning of the professor from campus unless he gets permission from the dean strikes me as bizarre, demeaning, and unjust. It announces on the public record that Professor McAdams is some sort of threat to the persons in this academic community…..leaving volatile suspicions in the air as to what that threat could be. Is he less a threat when he has the dean’s permission to be on campus? If the unavoidable inference that Professor McAdams is so threatening as to merit banishment is true, has campus security been alerted to protect us from Professor McAdams?

Over the years Professor McAdams and I have disagreed on many issues—and he has excoriated me on his blog—but all my personal interactions with him have been uniformly civil and urbane. Again, as Cardinal Newman said, in a university many minds are free to compete. That’s the glory of it.

This “unnecessary roughness” to borrow a term from the NFL, has already inflicted damage on Professor McAdams’ professional reputation. I am not surprised at the report that he has retained counsel.

I believe you owe us more explanation that you have given on your decision on this matter. Since reports on this situation have gotten national attention and stirred up remembrance of the Dr. Jodi O’Brien contract violation Marquette’s reputation is affected. We are all affected. The incident has a chilling effect on all members and staff since it implies that due-process protections may be brittle and uncertain at this university and specifically under your presidency. It is certainly not an aid in recruiting quality faculty.

I'm very pleased to see Dr. McGuire call out Michael Lovell and the university on this.

I'm hoping that he will help his students to understand this injustice and encourage them to speak out against it.

It's the right thing to do.

I hope the Marquette community bands together to uphold the integrity of the university.

Money talks. I strongly encourage donors to withhold all support from the university until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.