O'Brien and Marquette: The job retraction heard around the nation

Margaret Steele, a doctorate student at Marquette University, does not dispute the right of the university to choose its faculty, but she and student group Justice believe Marquette's actions are against university anti-discrimination policy which states, among other things, that people may not be discriminated against because of their sexual identity.

"It's not that there's a homophobic atmosphere [at Marquette], which is why I was so surprised," Steele said. "This is effectively an attack on academic freedom."

More than 100 students protested Marquette's decision to rescind its job offer to Jodi O'Brien May 5 lead by pro-diversity groups Justice and Empowerment. One hundred more students sat outside a closed Academic Senate meeting holding signs with slogans like "Hold Fr. Wild accountable" and "We support you."

The Academic Senate condemned the process and the university's decision to rescind its offer in an official statement. The senate reaffirmed its support of the university's anti-discrimination policy and stated that it wishes to meet with the board of trustees before September to "discuss Marquette's commitment to both academic freedom and shared governance; demand adoption of a revised search protocol that clearly affirms academic freedom and no disqualification from leadership positions for candidates pursuing legitimate lines of academic inquiry."

University president Rev. Robert Wild told The New York Times that the decision to rescind O'Brien's job offer was not because of her sexuality, nor was it an issue of academic freedom. According to Wild, university leaders "found some strongly negative statements about marriage and family" in O'Brien's work.

Marquette officials could not specify which statements were the sources of contention but others have speculated that it may have had something to do with O'Brien's writings on same-sex marriage and sexuality.

"It's not about any one issue," said Brigid O'Brien Miller (no relation to Jodi O'Brien). "It's really looking at the totality of her record."

O'Brien Miller said she was unaware of any pressure from the board of trustees or from donors threatening to deny the university funds were it to hire Jodi O'Brien.

O'Brien had been under review as a dean candidate for two years before a job offer was extended to her. In those two years, officials did not challenge her research or published work.

Marquette has not yet announced when the dean search will resume. A spokeswoman said the university has acknowledged there were some oversights in the search, and the university is looking to revise the process.

Professors at Seattle University are voicing their support for O'Brien by signing a formal letter organized by Ted Fortier, the interim chair of Seattle U's Sociology Department while O'Brien is on sabbatical.

"I'm very angry that this could happen in the 21st century," Fortier said. "I'm dumbfounded that someone could have a job taken away because she writes in a certain genre and is a sexual minority."

Mara Adelman, communications professor at Seattle U, said O'Brien's work—some of which depicts graphic accounts of homosexual sex—should not have cost her the position at Marquette.

"It should have never been an issue," Adelman said. "That's what academic freedom is. We have the freedom to look at issues that are oftentimes controversial and taboo."

Fortier said he and his colleagues plan to submit the letter to Marquette's board of trustees and the Chronicle of Higher Education this week.

Students met last night to begin drafting two letters—one of which will be sent to Marquette urging Wild to step down. The other will go to Seattle U's administrators asking for a public statement against Marquette retracting the offer, according to Alex LaCasse, senior journalism major who is organizing the effort. Students can begin to sign the letters Wednesday.

"If we're a university that prides itself on academic freedom, then the administration has an obligation to make a statement against Marquette's action," said LaCasse, who started a Facebook group in support of O'Brien Thursday night.

"If they don't, it sends a message that we support diversity in theory, but not in practice."
O'Brien said she plans to return to teach at Seattle U next year.

"Dr. O'Brien is a valued member of our university community, and she has had an illustrious career as an administrator, educator and social scientist," Crawford said in an e-mail to The Spectator. "Her contributions to Seattle University, the academy and the community have been, and will continue to be, many and substantial."

Frances may be reached at fdinger@su-spectator.com

Katie Farden contributed reporting to this story.

Editor's note: Alex LaCasse is a former Spectator staff writer.