Catholic Professor “marginalized” by homosexuals

[johnhp]

Poor Mornac, too afraid to have an honest exchange.

1.  Did he or did he not use the issue of natural law to criticize homosexuality?

2. Was or was not part of the basis of his natural law argument what a physician told him?

3. How can an email to a student, or pretty much anyone for that matter, about anal sex NOT be creepy?

[johnhp]

Howell has a serious problem.  He applied for a mandatum in his capacity as teacher.  The problem is that a mandatum is for "a theological discipline".  The department for which Mr. Howell was teaching is not a department of theology.  In departments of religion in secular universities, each religion, whether taught by a member of that faith or not, is taught from the perspective of the humanities and social sciences rather than theological advocacy.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-catholic-professor-20100717,0,5015388.story

The way he was hired and paid may also be a violation of church and state as well.

[Mornac]

Ultimatum to Illinois Over Catholic Studies Instructor

The Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing Kenneth Howell in the controversy over his teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has given the institution an ultimatum: either assure in writing that Howell will teach his regular courses in Roman Catholic studies in the fall, or he will sue. The letter states that the university has violated Howell's First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Howell has for years been an adjunct at Illinois, but he was recently told he would not have additional courses, following complaints over an e-mail he sent to students. His supporters argue that the e-mail was just an explanation of Catholic teachings on homosexuality and that punishing him for that would undercut the values of academic freedom. His critics argue that the e-mail reflected an attempt to indoctrinate students with faith, not teach them about a faith -- and some question the arrangement under which a Catholic center nominates and pays for adjuncts to teach courses on Catholicism at the university. Illinois officials have appointed a committee to study the academic freedom issues involved in the case.

But a letter sent by the Alliance Defense Fund Monday argues that the committee may be unfair to Howell. "We are concerned that the committee's investigation into this matter is tainted already with bias toward affirming the dismissal. President Michael Hogan commented that the purpose of the committee is to 'reassure ourselves there was no infringement on academic freedom here.' This remark gives us concern that university officials do not appreciate the gravity of the constitutional violations in this situation."

Illinois officials did not respond to requests for comment, but have previously indicated that they were committed to a fair inquiry into the issues

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/07/21/qt

[johnhp]

Hah.  There is a serious problem.  He should not have applied for that mandatum.

[Mornac]

U. of I. reinstates Catholic professor
Instructor had been barred after his comments on homosexuality

By Manya A. Brachear, Tribune reporter

July 29, 2010

An adjunct religion instructor barred from teaching by the University of Illinois after defending the Roman Catholic stance on homosexuality has been invited back to teach this fall.

Adjunct associate professor Kenneth Howell was reinstated on Thursday — a day after the deadline when his lawyers said they would sue the university for violating his academic freedom if administrators failed to reinstate him.

University officials also announced they would sign Howell's paychecks, ending an unconventional decades-long practice by which the church compensated whoever taught Catholic studies at the state university.

Jordan Lorence, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal consortium representing Howell, commended university officials for reconsidering their actions and reinstating the associate professor.

"The university has righted the wrong by letting Ken Howell back into the classroom," Lorence said. "They should never have removed him in the first place."

Howell, who has taught on the Urbana-Champaign campus since 2001, was removed last month after explaining during class why the church believes that homosexual behavior violates natural moral law. He elaborated later in an e-mail that lawyers say circulated around campus, prompting one student to call it "hate speech."

His subsequent removal generated outcry from alumni and students, including a "Save Dr. Ken" Facebook page. On Thursday, the page was filled with posts celebrating victory.

But the reinstatement is temporary. It does not affect an ongoing faculty review, which has been investigating whether Howell's immediate removal violated his academic freedom or right to due process.

Another faculty committee appointed to examine the circumstances of Howell's compensation concluded that the university's relationship with St. John's Catholic Newman Center, the Catholic ministry on campus, was improper.

Though Howell taught Introduction to Catholicism and Modern Catholic Thought in university classrooms, he served on the payroll of the Newman Center funded by the Diocese of Peoria — an agreement that remained in place despite scholars' objections when a religious studies program was established in 1971.

Howell now will earn $10,000 from the university for teaching Introduction to Catholicism in the religious studies department this fall.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-u-of-i-catholic-professor-073020100729,0,3661914.story

[johnhp]

They rope-a-doped him.  He will continue to preach while the investigation is ongoing, but now he is directly a University employee.