University of Illinois professor fired for explaining homosexuality violates Catholic teaching

Catholic World News has the story:

Following a student complaint, the University of Illinois refused to renew the contract of Dr. Kenneth Howell, an adjunct religion professor, who wrote in an e-mail that “Natural Moral Law says that Morality must be a response to REALITY” and that “sexual acts are only appropriate for people who are complementary, not the same.” Dr. Howell, who taught courses on Catholicism at the university and was recognized for excellence in teaching in 2008 and 2009, wrote the e-mail to his students to help them prepare for their final exam; in the e-mail, he compared utilitarianism and the natural moral law.

“Teaching a student about the tenets of a religion is one thing. Declaring that homosexual acts violate the natural laws of man is another,” the offended student complained to the head of the religion department; he also sent complaints to the director of the university's LGBT Resource Center and the professor who founded the university’s queer studies major. “The courses at this institution should be geared to contribute to the public discourse and promote independent thought; not limit one's worldview and ostracize people of a certain sexual orientation.”

Ann Mester, associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, supported the student. “The e-mails sent by Dr. Howell violate university standards of inclusivity, which would then entitle us to have him discontinue his teaching arrangement with us,” she said.

The Diocese of Peoria then fired Dr. Howell from the position of director of the Institute of Catholic Thought, part of St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the university.

“We funded the position so he could teach at the UI,” explained Patricia Gibson, chancellor of the Diocese of Peoria. “He has been told he cannot teach these classes in the future.”

“We are very concerned and very distressed by what we understand is the situation from Dr. Howell.”

Catholic League shares the following:

An adjunct professor at the University of Illinois, Ken Howell, has been fired for explaining in an e-mail that homosexuality violates Catholic natural law teachings. Commenting is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:

The University of Illinois should be sued, and we will work with professor Ken Howell in seeing to it that it is. He was fired for his religious viewpoint, an unacceptable reason that will not stand up in court.

Codes of academic freedom were written expressly to combat abuses like this, and that is why this case must be taken very seriously. It is not up to faculty chairs or deans to sit in judgment on the moral propriety of any religious orientation. Moreover, viewpoint discrimination is not tolerable, especially in higher education. Looks like the University of Illinois has gotten itself into a jam. 

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