theatlantic | Professor John McAdams is being stripped of tenure by Marquette
University for writing a blog post that administrators characterize as
inaccurate and irresponsible.
Academics all over the United States ought to denounce the firing of
the 69-year-old, a Harvard Ph.D. who taught courses on American politics
and public policy. If tenure can be taken away based upon one
controversial blog post, what protection does it offer? How many tenured
professors will censor themselves from participating in public
conversation to avoid a similar fate? Marquette has violated core
academic values, regardless of what one thinks of McAdams' commentary or
the shabby treatment of the graduate instructor he was criticizing (who
deserves sympathy for the horrifying torrent of misogyny others directed at her).
For purposes of discussion, I'll begin with the version of events as
described by Marquette University Dean Richard C. Holtz, who notified McAdams of his termination.
Even assuming that the factual claims Holtz makes are correct, the move
has set several sweeping, alarming precedents for when tenure can be
revoked.
