Marquette Buys Ad to Attack McAdams

Marquette University has been waging war against Political Science Professor John McAdams for years.

Those attempting to silence McAdams, and conservative and Catholic views in general on campus, used a blog post written by McAdams to bring the tensions to the breaking point.

On his Marquette Warrior blog, McAdams documented some troubling happenings that occurred in a Marquette University classroom in November 2014, "Marquette Philosophy Instructor: 'Gay Rights' Can't Be Discussed in Class Since Any Disagreement Would Offend Gay Students."

The instructor, Cheryl Abbate, was a doctoral student in the philosophy department at Marquette, teaching "Theory of Ethics." It must be understood that Abbate taught the class. She served in the role of teacher. As the teacher, Abbate was in a position of authority. She exploited that position to bully one of her undergraduate students.

Since December 2014, McAdams has been severely punished by Marquette, resulting in a legal battle that will be decided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

In short, it's a mess. Marquette has been dealing with the public relations nightmare that comes with being recognized as one of the greatest threats to free speech on campus in the country.

Under Marquette President Michael Lovell, the university radically lurched to the Left, destroying free speech on campus in the process. Lovell permitted the stifling of speech that gives voice to Catholic teaching, muzzling a student, and attempted to fire McAdams for merely outlining the story of an instructor's undeniably inappropriate behavior in the classroom.

In the face of persistent negative national attention, Marquette has refused to settle the McAdams matter in a reasonable fashion. In fact, the university has gone to rather bizarre lengths to destroy McAdams.

Marquette actually bought an ad on Google to get its propaganda to those searching "John McAdams Marquette."


Screenshot from Marquette Warrior

John McAdams writes:

Marquette, knowing they have been taking a public relations beating over their attempt to fire this blogger, has bought a Google ad to point people to their biased and selective page of “resources” on our case.

We do not know how much they are paying per “click through,” but the top position in a Google search does not come cheap.

The page promoted by Marquette's ad purports to relay the "facts" on McAdams v. Marquette. It's an official university page.

Here is a flat-out false assertion found on the page:

MYTH: This court case is about academic freedom and freedom of speech.

FACT: Putting a student teacher’s name and contact information on the internet before a hostile audience, commonly referred to as doxing, is not an exercise of academic freedom or protected speech. Had he written the exact same post without that information, he would not have been disciplined.

This case is about John McAdams’ reckless and harmful behavior toward a student teacher at Marquette University, which caused her irreparable harm.

This type of conduct, publishing a student teacher's name and contact information on the internet before a hostile audience, commonly referred to as doxing, violates a professor’s contract and duties to Marquette students and colleagues.

John McAdams crossed the line when he put a student teacher’s name and contact information on the internet subjecting her to ruthless, hateful attacks.

Academic freedom and freedom of speech are essential tenets of our campus community. John McAdams has enjoyed these essential freedoms for 40 years at Marquette, including publishing more than 3,000 blogs and internet postings on a variety of topics. A circuit court judge ruled that academic freedom does not mean that a professor can harass, threaten or intimidate a student.

McAdams did not dox Abbate.

Marquette is lying about that. There's no other way to put it.

"Facts"?

No.

As I've been doing since 2014, I strongly encourage Marquette donors to withhold their support from the university.

Of course, if you think censorship on campus, stifling academic freedom, and assaulting Marquette's Catholic identity are appropriate, then get out that checkbook.

John McAdams Responds to Marquette's FAQ on 'Personnel Matter'

Marquette's Defensive, Evasive and Dishonest Attack on John McAdams https://t.co/I36WxvXi8K via @RightWisconsin

— RightWisconsin (@RightWisconsin) April 14, 2016

Marquette is in a deep hole and just keeps digging.

Really crazy. Really shameful.

From Marquette Today, "Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on personnel matter":

There has been a lot of misinformation on the internet and from groups outside our campus about a personnel situation involving Marquette and Associate Professor John McAdams. Marquette University has put together a Frequently Asked Questions page to share the facts and to make clear our position as a university. Dr. McAdams’ suspension with the university is continuing. Before returning to the faculty, he must provide an assurance that he will not continue behaviors that harm others within the Marquette community.

"Personnel matter."

I think "assault on academic freedom" would be better. "Failure to permit Catholic teaching on campus" and "assault on free speech" would also be more appropriate. "Personnel matter" is so vague. Why not at least name the professor in the title?

This question is a killer: "Did Dr. McAdams criticize a fellow instructor, or a student?"

The target of Dr. McAdams’ blog was a graduate student instructor. She remains a student first. The university has established channels in place for faculty members to express concerns. These standard channels of authority, which all university faculty members are expected to follow as a condition of employment as defined by the Faculty Handbook, include an associate dean, dean of the college or the provost.

I have a big problem with this apparent lack of accountability for graduate students serving as instructors.

They must be kidding. A "student first"?

No. No way. That doesn't fly.

When Cheryl Abbate taught that class, she most definitely was not filling the role of student.

Absolutely absurd.

Here's another: "Is this issue about freedom of speech or academic freedom?"

No, this issue is about the professor’s conduct toward a graduate student. Dr. McAdams has been blogging for more than a decade, publishing approximately 3,000 posts, and the university administration has never disciplined him. He has the right to talk about controversial topics on his blog, and to disagree with and debate Marquette-related positions freely. Where Dr. McAdams crossed the line is when he launched a personal attack against a student, subjecting her to threats and hateful messages. Dr. McAdams continues to use the student’s name on his blog, even recently identifying where she is currently studying, leading to more hostile and threatening messages.

All accountability can now be deemed a "personal attack."

In other words, it's impossible to hold an instructor such as Cheryl Abbate, previously employed by Marquette University, accountable.

Abbate, like other Marquette faculty, serve in a public capacity.

It's silly to suggest that McAdams was somehow crossing the line to name an instructor. Commenting on her treatment of a Marquette student is not wrong.

And McAdams is not responsible for any hostile or threatening messages Abbate received when her actions as a Marquette instructor were made known. He did not encourage any abusive behavior. Marquette should have a problem with the authors of the inappropriate messages, not McAdams.

McAdams does a great job analyzing Marquette's many evasive and inaccurate statements on the "personnel matter." His analysis can be found on his blog, Marquette Warrior.

That, of course, was the site of the original comment that exposed Marquette's disgrace back in 2014. It's fitting that McAdams continues to use his blog to enlighten and inform.

The piece can also be found on Right Wisconsin.

Marquette: Campus Free Speech Worst Offender List

Marquette University has distinguished itself as one of the top ten in the country.

Unfortunately, it's not an honorable distinction. It's a disgrace.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) includes Marquette on its annual list of the top 10 threats to free speech on campus.

Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, writes:

Marquette University's chilling campaign to revoke the tenure of political science professor John McAdams due to writings on his private blog ensures its place on this year's list. McAdams criticized a graduate instructor for what he viewed as her inappropriate suppression of certain viewpoints for in-class discussion (one student's opposition to same-sex marriage in particular), and the instructor came in for heavy criticism. Marquette then suspended McAdams without due process and abruptly cancelled his classes for the next semester. It also publicly insinuated that McAdams violated its harassment policy and was a safety threat to the campus, despite a complete lack of proof for either charge. Marquette's disregard of due process and its incredible denial that its campaign against McAdams's tenure implicates free speech or academic freedom in any way should frighten anyone concerned about faculty rights. Indeed, if the university succeeds in removing McAdams, free speech and academic freedom will lose whatever meaning they had at Marquette.

M.D. Kittle provides an update on John McAdams and Marquette's assault on academic freedom.

Now McAdams’ professional fate, in large part, rests in the hands of a jury of his peers presiding over one of the more intriguing speech- and academic-freedom cases to confront a U.S. college campus.

“Well . . . the limbo is not good, but I am still collecting my salary, and my fringe benefits, so I’m not in huge distress,” McAdams wrote in a recent email to Wisconsin Watchdog.

McAdams says he’s hoping for the best from Marquette’s Faculty Hearing Committee, but if the advisory panel decides the administration should cut the professor’s tenure and fire him, McAdams says his next step will be a lawsuit.

...“My lawyer thinks it’s unlikely that, even if things go my way, that I’ll be restored to my normal status by this coming fall semester,” McAdams said.

His lawyer is Rick Esenberg, founder and president of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, or WILL, a Milwaukee-based public interest law firm.

The controversy isn’t a First Amendment question per se, Esenberg has said. Private institutions can fire whom they please. But the veteran professor is protected by a contract, which in turn protects faculties’ academic freedom — principally speech.

“Their contract says you can’t be terminated for speech that would otherwise be protected by the U.S. Constitution. Marquette has obligated itself, and I think wisely, to academic expression. Now it’s time to live up to that commitment,” Esenberg said in a February Wisconsin Watchdog story.

But it appears Marquette, or at least its administration, is sticking to its guns.

Marquette President Michael R. Lovell has said he will not disclose further details of the proceedings until all “procedures required under university rules and policies are complete.”

“As our president notes, the decisions here have everything to do with our Guiding Values and expectations of conduct toward each other and nothing to do with academic freedom, freedom of speech, or same-sex marriage,” wrote Marquette spokesman Brian Dorrington in an email to Wisconsin Watchdog. “Debate and intense discussion are at the heart of who we are as a university, but they must be balanced with respect.”

Lovell said he doesn’t believe McAdams was being collegial when he wrote on his blog that philosophy teaching assistant Cheryl Abbate should have spent more time addressing varying opinions on gay marriage instead of dismissing them as “homophobic” and shutting them down.

Although this is not a new story and McAdams has been lingering in this limbo for months and months now, I still find it hard to grasp. I can't believe that Marquette has lurched to the Left so radically in an effort to be politically correct, destroying free speech on campus in the process. It's an unbelievably poor choice.

Lovell claims "the decisions here have everything to do with [Marquette's] Guiding Values and expectations of conduct toward each other and nothing to do with academic freedom, freedom of speech, or same-sex marriage."

That, of course, is ridiculous. McAdams' conduct was not out of line. His criticism of Abbate was completely legitimate and reasonable. What is out of line is Marquette holding McAdams personally responsible for the inappropriate behavior of others.

I am truly disgusted by what Marquette has become.

Lovell's first year as president of the university has been a disaster.

He has permitted the stifling of speech that gives voice to Catholic teaching, muzzling a student, and attempted to fire McAdams for merely sharing the story of an instructor's inappropriate behavior on campus.

Inexcusable.

Lovell's leadership is damaging Marquette. That's a matter that should be addressed and soon.

If Marquette continues down this road, we will continue to withhold our financial support. We wouldn't consider giving the university a dime until McAdams is allowed back on campus and teaching again.

At present, I would never recommend Marquette University to any prospective students.

That's so very sad.

Marquette Firing John McAdams

Like so many others, I have been shocked by Marquette University's treatment of Political Science Professor John McAdams.

For months now, in several blog posts, I've detailed my concerns.

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

John McAdams: Daniel McGuire Letter

John McAdams: AAUP Letter to Marquette

I'm sorry to admit that I have been wrong.

I honestly thought Marquette University and President Michael Lovell would eventually come around and do the right thing, restoring John McAdams to his earned and well-deserved position among Marquette's faculty.

The opposite has occurred.

John McAdams posted last night:

On November 9 of last year, we published a post detailing how a student in a Philosophy class confronted the instructor after class. He was disappointed that she quickly passed over the issue of gay marriage in class, since the student wanted to argue against the policy. The instructor told the student that he was not allowed to make “homophobic” comments in class, and further that if he was allowed to argue against gay marriage, that would “offend” any gay students in class.

The post created a firestorm of controversy. First, people appalled that an instructor’s actions weighed in, and then leftist academics who felt we had been unfair to the instructor (one Cheryl Abbate) mobilized to attack us.

Marquette’s administration (most prominently Arts & Sciences Dean Richard Holz) sided with our attackers, and suspended us in December. So it was no particular surprise when, last Friday, our lawyer received a letter from Holz – addressed to us – saying:

Therefore, in accord with Section 307.03, we are commencing as of this date the procedures for revoking your tenure and dismissing you from the faculty.

Hotz’ irate letter, which can be found here, is full of poor arguments and factual misstatements.

McAdams then proceeds to explain in detail the unfounded nature and absurdity of the claims in this letter from Richard Holz.

This morning, I heard Rick Esenberg, Marquette University law professor and legal counsel for McAdams, discuss the matter on Charlie Sykes' WTMJ radio program. I heard McAdams speaking with Vicki McKenna on her WISN radio program.

When I learned today that Marquette had taken steps to fire McAdams, my first thought was that this is a "defining moment" for Marquette. Those were precisely the words that Esenberg used when talking to Sykes.

This is it. This is everything.

Marquette's reputation and Marquette's legacy is on the line.

If this battle is lost, it's over.

As I've mentioned previously, we chose NOT to make our annual donation to Marquette solely because of the abuse of John McAdams.

I hoped that this break in our pattern of giving, something that even "The Gold" fiasco didn't alter, would be a temporary situation.

It appears that is not the case.

Simply put, this is a disgrace. Lovell is standing by while the university destroys its standing as a quality Jesuit institution.

Academic freedom at Marquette is dead.

Catholic teaching at Marquette is dead.

These are not understatements.

I really didn't think Lovell and Marquette would be so blind, so clueless in terms of the consequences of their actions.

I gave them too much credit. I had faith in them.

To say I'm disillusioned is an understatement.

Marquette's plan to fire McAdams is the final nail in the coffin.

In short, we're done, Marquette.

Marquette's Inexcusable Abuse of John McAdams

Without question, we made the right decision a few weeks ago when we chose to break our pattern of making an annual financial gift to Marquette University.

The sole reason for this break: Marquette University's inexcusable treatment of Associate Professor John McAdams.

Apparently, Marquette University President Michael Lovell believes that the harassment of John McAdams is appropriate. The allegedly Catholic institution is not backing down.

McAdams is banned from campus for writing an innocuous blog post. His second semester classes were cancelled for writing an innocuous blog post, alerting people to what INSTRUCTOR Cheryl Abbate did in her role as a university INSTRUCTOR. She refused to allow a student in her ethics class at this Catholic university to simply voice opposition to gay marriage. That seems to be the offense McAdams committed, identifying INSTRUCTOR Abbate.

("INSTRUCTOR" means that Abbate was responsible for teaching students, testing them, assigning them grades, and giving them credits toward their degrees. INSTRUCTOR Abbate most definitely held a position of authority at the university. Although she was a graduate student, she was also an EMPLOYEE of the university.)

Marquette is shaming itself with its stunningly inappropriate behavior. And Lovell is obviously overseeing the process.

On Wednesday, John McAdams posted on his blog, Marquette Warrior, the following letter from Dean Richard C. Holz:

January 2, 2015

Dr. John McAdams

Dear John:

I am writing in response to your request for additional information about what prompted the current review of your conduct by Marquette University. As you know, tenure and academic freedom carry not only great privileges but also vital responsibilities and obligations. In order to endure, a scholar-teacher’s academic freedom must be grounded in integrity, including a respect for others’ opinions and the exercise of appropriate restraint. Otherwise, those such as yourself who are invested with the power that tenure affords will intimidate and silence the less-powerful – especially students. Such intimidation and silence negates the very academic freedoms that tenure is intended to enhance. Your recent actions in publicizing on the internet the name of our now-former graduate student, who had been secretly recorded by one of her students [redacted], require University review. Whatever your views of this secretly-recorded exchange in the graduate student’s office, and whatever your thoughts about separate classroom interactions that you did not observe (and putting aside the multiple other ways any concerns you had about our graduate student could have been advanced) you had no justification to put our graduate student’s name in your internet posts. The personal impact on her was plainly foreseeable, as detailed (only in part) as follows.

As a result of your unilateral, dishonorable and irresponsible decision to publicize the name of our graduate student, that student received a series of hate-filled and despicable emails including one suggesting that she had committed “treason and sedition” and as a result faced penalties such as “drawing, hanging, beheading, and quartering.” Another note, delivered to her campus mailbox, told the student, “You must undo the terrible wrong committed when you were born. Your mother failed to make the right choice. You must abort yourself for the glory of inclusiveness and tolerance.” Accordingly, and understandably, the student feared for her personal safety and we posted a Campus Security Officer outside her classroom. In addition, as a result of your conduct and its consequences, she now has withdrawn from our graduate program and moved to another University to continue her academic career. You have been asked, advised and warned on multiple prior occasions not to publicize students’ names in connection with your blog posts. With this latest example of unprofessional and irresponsible conduct we have no confidence that you will live up to any additional assurances on your part that you will respect and protect our students. Indeed, you specifically discussed in your blog the fact that your conduct would negatively impact the student’s opportunities in the future and you expressed pride in that result.

Accordingly, we are continuing our review of your conduct and considering all appropriate responses. As before, your salary and benefits continue. We also expect you to stay away from campus now that the “few days” you requested on December 16 have expired.

Sincerely,
Richard C. Holz, Ph.D.
Dean

Sorry, Dean Holz, but you cannot portray Abbate as some helpless little student.

She was functioning as an INSTRUCTOR. Parents pay good money, LOTS of money, for every credit their children earn. Abbate had the power to pass and fail students, to give them credit or deny them. She served as an employee of Marquette University.

This notion that the university had to protect its student, Abbate, is absurd. She served as an INSTRUCTOR and must be held accountable for her behavior in that role.

Furthermore, McAdams is not responsible for any "hate-filled and despicable emails" sent to Abbate.

Rick Esenberg, legal counsel for McAdams, responded to Holz.

I am afraid that we are headed for litigation and continued controversy that I fear will profoundly damage Marquette.

The need for a response is bolstered by the article that appeared in Tuesday’s Journal Sentinel. In it, a university spokesperson says that Dr. McAdams remains banned from campus and implies that this is somehow necessary for the “safety” of students. I am normally not one given over to harsh adjectives, but this is preposterous.

In his letter, Dean Holz says, for the first time, that the allegedly improper conduct by Dr. McAdams was to identify Cheryl Abbate as the instructor who told a student that opposition to gay marriage would not be tolerated in her class. He does not claim that anything that Dr. McAdams said is false. He does not say that it was uncivil or constituted “harassment” under university rules. It was wrong, he says, because, even though Marquette made Ms. Abatte solely responsible for the class in question and placed her in a position of authority over undergraduates, she was still “only” a graduate student. As such, she apparently cannot be publicly criticized.

I hope students considering attending Marquette University are reconsidering.

I hope they and their parents understand that Marquette is unwelcoming and hostile to those daring to express the teaching of the Catholic Church. I hope they are aware that only certain opinions are tolerated on campus.

This is truly insane. It is inexcusable.

Marquette University, what are you doing?

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

An important step is to withhold all support from the university until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.

Cheryl Abbate Leaves Marquette

Cheryl Abbate, a graduate student and philosophy instructor, is leaving Marquette University.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A graduate student teaching assistant is leaving Marquette University after being publicly targeted by a tenured professor for her response to a student who wanted to argue against gay marriage in her ethics class, according to a national blog for philosophy professionals.

Teaching assistant Cheryl Abbate will transfer next month to the philosophy PhD program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, after being accepted through an expedited admissions process, according to the Daily Nous blog for philosophy professionals maintained by Justin Weinberg, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina.

Several sources independently confirmed that Abbate received "vile" emails and threats of physical harm after Marquette associate professor John McAdams accused her in a Nov. 9 post on his conservative-leaning Marquette Warrior blog of "using a tactic typical among liberals now" with the student.

"Opinions with which they disagree are not merely wrong, and are not to be argued against on their merits, but are deemed 'offensive' and need to be shut up," he wrote.

The McAdams blog post captured national media attention and international attention from widely divergent groups: largely conservative free speech advocates supporting McAdams' right to blog his opinions and a student's right to argue against gay marriage in a class, and professors and teaching assistants who criticized McAdams for publicly calling out a graduate student and exposing her to political labeling and public condemnation.

...Weinberg said in his Daily Nous blog post that he had corresponded with Abbate, and she passed on the following: "Although the past month has been a very difficult and distressing time for me, the support and encouragement I have received from philosophers around the world has made this all the more bearable.

"I would like to thank each and every individual who sent a personal message to me, sent a letter to the Marquette administration on my behalf, and/or signed one of the online statements of support. ... Please know that your messages made all of the difference to me and I am truly touched and inspired by the concern and kindness demonstrated by those who took the time to reach out to me."

Karen Herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is painting Abbate as a victim rather than as an abusive instructor engaging in the harassment of a student.

The reality is Abbate did not conduct herself properly as an instructor. Yes, she's a student as well, but she's also in a position of authority. She needs to be held accountable her actions.

It's no surprise that Herzog depicts McAdams as a cruel conservative, but it is disturbing that she seems to suggest that McAdams deserves blame for the "'vile' emails and threats of physical harm" Abbate received.

Inappropriate.

While the extreme negativity sent Abbate's way was totally out of line, the product of sick individuals, McAdams certainly cannot be held responsible for the actions of others.

McAdams appropriately revealed an incident on campus in a blog post. He didn't misrepresent what happened.

It was right for McAdams to inform the public, especially Marquette donors, about the utterly unacceptable assault on the free exchange of ideas in Abbate's classroom.

Marquette President Michael Lovell owes Marquette donors an explanation about why he failed to stand up for the student's right to engage in discussion that's in line with the Catholic Church. Why did he allow the student to be abused and silenced? Why is Lovell permitting McAdams to be harassed?

It's absolutely unacceptable.

I say that as a former donor.

I strongly urge other Marquette donors to withhold their support from the university.

John McAdams: Michael Lovell and Marquette Fire Back

Marquette University has really stepped in it, BANNING a tenured political science professor from campus for writing a blog post reporting on a troubling incident in a Marquette class.

Yes, it's that extreme.

Time for some major damage control by Marquette University:

“We deplore hatred and abuse directed at a member of our community in any format.” - @PresLovell. Read more: http://t.co/2glJxwhWl5
— Marquette University (@MarquetteU) December 17, 2014

Marquette University statement on personnel review

Given that professor John McAdams has shared his personnel information on his public blog, we are sharing the following information:

Last month, Marquette University began reviewing both a concern raised by a student and a concern raised by a graduate student teaching assistant. While this review continues, professor John McAdams has been relieved of his teaching duties and other faculty duties. His salary and benefits will continue during the course of the review.

Our president has been very clear, including in a recent campus-wide letter, about university expectations and Guiding Values to which all faculty and staff are required to adhere, and in which the dignity and worth of each member of our community is respected, especially students.

“This is a matter of official policy, but it is also a matter of our values,” President Michael R. Lovell said in his letter to the campus community. “Respect is at the heart of our commitment to the Jesuit tradition and Catholic social teaching.”

If that's true, and "[r]espect is at the heart of [Marquette University's] commitment to the Jesuit tradition and Catholic social teaching," then Cheryl Abbate should be under investigation and banned from campus.

If university expectations and guiding values demand that the "dignity and worth of each member of our community is respected, especially students," then Abbate is in violation of official policy.

"Our values" -- Oh, please!

Lovell is not proving to be a very good leader, and I say that with all due respect.

Lovell noted that Marquette listens to any member of the campus community who expresses concerns alleging inappropriate behavior. As stated in our harassment policy, the university will not tolerate personal attacks or harassment of or by students, faculty and staff.

Accurately reporting an incident in a classroom does not constitute a "personal attack or harassment."

What Lovell is actually calling for is in reality a lack of accountability by students, faculty, and staff. On his personal blog, McAdams acknowledged and discussed something that occurred. Being truthful and honest, in a respectful manner, is not inappropriate behavior. It's not harassment. It's not a personal attack. Analyzing events is part of accountability. Students, faculty, and staff should not be shielded from responsibility for their actions under the guise of a "harassment policy."

Furthermore, Lovell is being shamelessly selective in his application of his university's harassment policy.

Abbate harassed a student. Why is her harassment permitted?

“To be clear, we will take action to address those concerns.” he said. “We deplore hatred and abuse directed at a member of our community in any format.”

Hatred?

Has Lovell read the blog posts by McAdams?

Lovell certainly can't be suggesting that McAdams engaged in any sort of hateful or abusive speech. If Lovell is suggesting that, I'd like him to be specific and cite the instances of alleged hate and abuse.

I would hope Marquette would "deplore hatred and abuse directed at a member of our community in any format." That's a good thing. But, in this case, I don't see how Lovell's statement applies, unless he's referring to Abbate's abusive charge that her student was being homophobic for simply stating that gay marriage policy is a topic worthy of discussion.

The university has protocols in place for students who have concerns related to academic matters or any other issues. Faculty members who express concerns alleging harassment may also refer concerns through standard channels of authority – an associate dean, dean of the college or the provost.

Clearly, Lovell is comfortable silencing a student and tenured professor, and banning the teaching of the Catholic Church from being mentioned in a Marquette classroom.

I wonder. Does Lovell deplore the "hatred and abuse" being taught by the Catholic Church? Is Lovell's position that Catholic teaching will not be tolerated on campus?

Those are straightforward questions that deserve clear answers.

At this point, I strongly urge Marquette donors to withhold their support from the university.

Of course, if you think censorship on campus, stifling academic freedom, and assaulting Marquette's Catholic identity are appropriate, then get out that checkbook.
________________

Video:

From WISN: Marquette University professor suspended for something written in blog

From FOX6 News: Banned from campus: Marquette University associate professor "relieved of his teaching duties"

Marquette Harasses John McAdams

This is unbelievable.

I am truly shocked that Marquette University has taken such extreme measures to punish Professor John McAdams for writing a blog post outlining an incident on campus.

Yesterday, McAdams shared an email from Dean Richard Holz:

Dear John:

The university is continuing to review your conduct and during this period--and until further notice--you are relieved of all teaching duties and all other faculty activities, including, but not limited to, advising, committee work, faculty meetings and any activity that would involve your interaction with Marquette students, faculty and staff. Should any academic appeals arise from Fall 2014 semester, however, you are expected to fulfill your obligations in that specific matter.

Your salary and benefits will continue at their current level during this time.

You are to remain off campus during this time, and should you need to come to campus, you are to contact me in writing beforehand to explain the purpose of your visit, to obtain my consent and to make appropriate arrangements for that visit. I am enclosing with this letter Marquette’s harassment policy, its guiding values statement, the University mission statement, and sections from the Faculty Handbook, which outline faculty rights and responsibilities; these documents will inform our review of your conduct.

Sincerely,

Richard C. Holz, Ph.D. Dean

OH MY GOD!

UNBELIEVABLE!

McAdams explains:

We wrote him back and asked what the charges against us are. He failed to respond. Since we have done nothing particularly controversial lately besides blog about the Philosophy instructor (one Cheryl Abbate), we have to assume that’s what it is about.

The fact that Holz sends the “harassment policy” suggests that somebody thinks that merely blogging about questionable conduct by a Philosophy instructor constitutes “harassment.”

...Whether Marquette officials really want to punish us for blogging, or whether they simply feel the need for a pro forma “investigation” of changes someone has brought, we don’t know. Either would be gross misconduct on the part of Marquette officials. Any attempt to censor our blog not only would violate the canons of academic freedom, but would reverse years of precedent, since we have been free to criticize things going on at Marquette for nearly ten years now. And an “investigation” constitutes a form of harassment. Any charges against us should have been summarily dismissed.

Marquette, in other words, has again shown itself to be timid, overly bureaucratic and lacking any commitment to either its Catholic mission or free expression.

To say I'm angry about this is an understatement.

Did Cheryl Abbate receive similar treatment for harassing her student?

Has she been told she is banned from campus, and if a visit is necessary she needs to contact Holz in writing to be granted permission?

THIS IS UNREAL!

It seems that Holz and the university are trying to make it very uncomfortable for McAdams to stay at Marquette. It appears there is an effort to get him to voluntarily move on. That would be a tremendous loss for the rudderless Marquette.

In a previous post, I voiced my concern about supporting an institution purporting to deal in the free exchange of ideas while actually engaging in censorship.

In the past few weeks, we must have received about a dozen phone calls from Marquette, obviously its annual appeal. It's a nightly call. One came in Monday evening and another yesterday. I expect the phone to ring again tonight. I assume Christmas Break (or is it "Winter Break"?) will soon end the annoyance.

In sum, Marquette really wants our money.


MARQUETTE IS NOT GETTING OUR MONEY.


This Jesuit university is a joke. Catholic? I don't think so.

I'm ashamed of my connections to the university.

John McAdams has taught at Marquette for at least 30 years. And he's being treated like this, likely because of a blog post detailing a reality at the university???

This is absolutely unreal. It's inexcusable. It's shameful.

Where's Marquette's president, Michael Lovell, on this?

Is he still busy doing the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Westboro Church Protests at Marquette

Members of Westboro Baptist Church have spent most of this century behaving despicably by staging protests at solemn occasions like the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq.

The head of the church, Fred Phelps, passed away earlier this year. His daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, is continuing his twisted mission.

From FOX6 News:

Westboro Baptist Church members traveled from Topeka, Kansas on Monday, December 8th to protest in Wisconsin.

One main stop for them was the Marquette University campus in downtown Milwaukee. They were protesting gay marriage. The university was ready for them though. Dozens of students banned together across the street from the small group of about five Westboro Church Members, with signs of their own and chants of school spirit.

...Westboro Baptist Church is known for traveling around the country, protesting issues they believe God is against, like same-sex marriage. The group has also picketed outside of military funerals.

...Westboro Baptist Church members say they went to Marquette’s campus because of what happened last month in an ethics class. A student accused a teacher of not allowing someone in class to voice his opinion against gay marriage. Another professor then got wind of the incident and blogged about it, capturing the church group’s attention.

“This is a religious institution which means they`ve invoked the name of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, yet you have a teacher teaching rebellion against God and his plain, plain never-changing standards,” said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a Westboro Baptist Church member.

“I was very surprised that something as small as a dispute in an ethics class would catch their attention, but I guess they`ll jump on anything to prove their point,” said Doug Floski, a Marquette senior.

Here's video, from FOX6 News:



It's unfortunate that the Westboro Baptist Church nuts decided to protest in support of the student who was told by the philosophy instructor, Cheryl Abbate, that questioning the morality of gay marriage would not be tolerated in her class. The student was effectively silenced. He dropped the class.

These hateful Westboro extremists shouldn't be allowed to distract from the seriousness of what happened at Marquette. Preventing a student in an ethics class from simply expressing a view that reflects the teaching of the Catholic Church is messed up. After all, Marquette University still markets itself as a Catholic institution. It's terribly troubling that the instructor was permitted to successfully silence a student for wanting to voice the Church's stance, something Abbate considers homophobic.

Staging a counterprotest to the Westboro group would be a good thing for the Marquette students to do, if their purpose was to speak out against the church members' inappropriate behavior and hateful activities. My concern, however, is that the students were also protesting to show support for Abbate's behavior. That's a problem.

We should not let the positively unacceptable manner in which Abbate conducted herself to be lost in this Westboro mess.

Bottom line: A student in an ethics class at a Jesuit university should be allowed to express the teaching of the Catholic Church. Failing to permit a discussion on gay marriage in the context of the phil class is the real issue, not the Westboro crazies.

Marquette: Gay Rights, Academic Freedom, Free Speech

What is happening at Marquette?

As the end of the year approaches and it's time to get out the checkbook for that annual donation, we have good reason to pause.

Political Science Professor John McAdams has documented some very troubling recent happenings that began in a Marquette University classroom.

Read: Marquette Philosophy Instructor: “Gay Rights” Can’t Be Discussed in Class Since Any Disagreement Would Offend Gay Students.

Cherly Abbate is a "doctoral student in the philosophy department at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin" and serves as the instructor for a philosophy class, "Theory of Ethics."

The problem: Abbate flat-out shut down discussion on gay rights, refusing to acknowledge a conservative student's perspective.

John McAdams writes:

A student we know was in a philosophy class (“Theory of Ethics”), and the instructor (one Cheryl Abbate) was attempting to apply a philosophical text to modern political controversies. So far so good.

She listed some issues on the board, and came to “gay rights.” She then airily said that “everybody agrees on this, and there is no need to discuss it.”

The student, a conservative who disagrees with some of the gay lobby’s notions of “gay rights” (such as gay marriage) approached her after class and told her he thought the issue deserved to be discussed. Indeed, he told Abbate that if she dismisses an entire argument because of her personal views, that sets a terrible precedent for the class.

...Abbate explained that “some opinions are not appropriate, such as racist opinions, sexist opinions” and then went on to ask “do you know if anyone in your class is homosexual?” And further “don’t you think it would be offensive to them” if some student raised his hand and challenged gay marriage? The point being, apparently that any gay classmates should not be subjected to hearing any disagreement with their presumed policy views.

Then things deteriorated further as the student said that it was his right as an American citizen to make arguments against gay marriage. Abbate replied that “you don’t have a right in this class to make homophobic comments.”

Not surprisingly, the story went national.

I'm glad it did. Such an affront to free speech should receive attention.

Abbate's assumption that "everybody agrees on this, and there is no need to discuss it" is absurd.

Taking the topic off the table completely smacks of a reeducation camp in Mao's China.

Isn't Marquette a CATHOLIC university? I remember it used to be. I guess the Catholic identity is a little inconvenient. (Maybe if the Leftist faculty and authorities at Marquette ignore it long enough, it will just fade away. )

Abbate's argument that discussion can't occur because gay classmates shouldn't be subjected to hearing someone express any objection to gay marriage sets a standard that would stifle all discussion. The potential of someone taking offense to a topic is always there. It would be impossible to use that measure to determine what's off limits.

...The student first complained to the office of the Dean of Arts & Sciences, and talked to an Associate Dean, one Suzanne Foster. Foster sent the student to the Chair of the Philosophy Department, saying that department chairs usually handle such cases. The chair, Nancy Show, pretty much blew off the issue.

...So how is a student to get vindication from University officials who hold the same intolerant views as Abbate?

McAdams concludes:

Thus the student is dropping the class, and will have to take another Philosophy class in the future.

But this student is rather outspoken and assertive about his beliefs. That puts him among a small minority of Marquette students. How many students, especially in politically correct departments like Philosophy, simply stifle their disagreement, or worse yet get indoctrinated into the views of the instructor, since those are the only ideas allowed, and no alternative views are aired?

Like the rest of academia, Marquette is less and less a real university. And when gay marriage cannot be discussed, certainly not a Catholic university.

I have great respect for the student, fighting the good fight, not accepting being muzzled.

The notion that differing viewpoints will not be tolerated in some Marquette classes is extremely disturbing.   

It's also disturbing that McAdams is being attacked for exposing the truth.

Read:

Cheryl Abbate to Marquette: Silence Marquette Warrior

Politically Correct Marquette Faculty Attack Marquette Warrior

OK. Frankly, I'm tired.

I'm tired of fighting battles. I'm tired of hearing about battles being fought. I'm just really tired. Really, really tired.

But, such a glaring injustice as this needs to be addressed.

Shutting up students is not right. Shackling them intellectually is wrong.  Setting up politically correct barriers to oppress them is no way to enrich their minds.

McAdams points out:

All we did was to report, accurately, the inappropriate actions of Abbate in demeaning a student, and claiming that gay students should not be exposed to any arguments against gay marriage. It is true that, when the story went national, she was subjected to some nasty e-mails and blog comments (although nothing required her to read the blog with the nastiest comments).

But then we got nasty comments too. When one does something that gets national publicity, some jerks are going to say nasty things. Neither we nor anybody at Marquette can help that.

...If accurate reporting harms someone’s reputation, that is fair enough. And if accurate reporting harms Marquette’s reputation, that is also fair enough. The argument here seems to be that certain information needs to be concealed to protect reputations. No journalist would accept that. The rule should be “tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may.”

What should we do? Deny reality?

No.

If the truth harms the reputation of an individual or a group of people or a university, then it does. That's the way the truth works.

Actions have consequences.

We're judged by what we do. We are what we do.

Deal with it, Marquette Leftists.

This Thought Police mentality at Marquette really ticks me off. It is so out of line. It's sad that Marquette has come to this, but it has.

Bottom line: The intolerance of the Leftists is maddening. Using their authority to attempt to silence students possessing views that run counter to the Leftist political agenda is disgraceful.

Why would I support an institution that operates this way, opposing free speech?

Write a check to the Marquette Fund? Really?