Professor fired for believing what he taught...

Howell, who taught Introduction to Catholicism and Modern Catholic Thought, says he was fired at the end of the spring semester after sending an e-mail explaining some Catholic beliefs to his students preparing for an exam.

"Natural Moral Law says that Morality must be a response to REALITY," he wrote in the e-mail. "In other words, sexual acts are only appropriate for people who are complementary, not the same."

An unidentified student sent an e-mail to religion department head Robert McKim on May 13, calling Howell's e-mail "hate speech." The student claimed to be a friend of the offended student. The writer said in the e-mail that his friend wanted to remain anonymous. "Teaching a student about the tenets of a religion is one thing," the student wrote. "Declaring that homosexual acts violate the natural laws of man is another." Howell said he was teaching his students about the Catholic understanding of natural moral law. {As I understand it, the professor made clear to his students that he was Catholic and so believed what he taught.}

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rathi said:

Based on the evidence provided, he should not have been fired. I don't agree with the man in the slightest, but the subject is part of the course he is teaching, and his actions were not worthy of dismissal.

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