A few words about Bo Winegard (@EPoe187), who just lost his tenure-track job at Marietta College:
I don't know why they did it and can't evaluate it. But I can say it's unusual to let a prof go after < 3 years, especially one who, like Bo, has published peer-reviewed work.
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I don't know why they did it and can't evaluate it. But I can say it's unusual to let a prof go after < 3 years, especially one who, like Bo, has published peer-reviewed work.
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No one on Twitter discusses contentious issues more civilly than Bo. I've disagreed with him on things minor & major, and he's always up for real dialogue. Many come at him aggressively, and he tries dialogue with them too.
Some preach civility and don't practice it. Bo does.
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Some preach civility and don't practice it. Bo does.
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I'm familiar with criticisms of Bo--I've raised some myself--and while I'm not in the camp who thinks nothing should be out of bounds, placing Bo's arguments out of bounds is a mistake.
We're all better off when there's some space for real dialogue on controversial issues.
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We're all better off when there's some space for real dialogue on controversial issues.
3/x
Here's Winegard's account of his firing. I haven't investigated it or seen any statement from his department or Marietta College, so I won't evaluate it. You can read it for yourself if you'd like.
But I will say something as a general statement:
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quillette.com/2020/03/06/ive…
But I will say something as a general statement:
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quillette.com/2020/03/06/ive…
Firing academics because their research or commentary generates controversy is unethical, bad for the academy, and bad for society.
That's different from firing someone for harassment or similar behavior. It undermines intellectual freedom, which ultimately hurts us all.
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That's different from firing someone for harassment or similar behavior. It undermines intellectual freedom, which ultimately hurts us all.
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