# Professor at CHristian college suspended for her outspoken support of Muslims **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 17, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651 "2015-12-17T01:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/321 "2016-01-18T00:45:25Z")
I haven’t been on the boards much lately, so I missed the thread, but I have some inside knowledge of this case that might enlighten. My niece attends Wheaton, and last month I drove up to bring her home for Christmas break. While there for the two days that this story broke, I was staying with a college friend of mine, who happens to be my wife’s cousin and a Wheaton professor. I also had lunch with a friend of mine (and college friend of my wife) who is a staff director at the school. This case was a topic of discussion with both of them. They reiterated a couple of points: - the media reports, not having all the facts, made guesses or assumptions about the situation that are inaccurate. - she was not suspended for claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same god. That belief falls within mainstream Christian thought, although it is not universally accepted. - she was not suspended for wearing a hajib. Her wearing the hajib had absolutely nothing to do with the investigation whatsoever. Although some people at Wheaton were not thrilled with it, it was not against any rules and Wheaton respects freedom of expression within its Statement of Faith as agreed to by all faculty and staff. What was explained to me is that: - She made statements on Facebook (not about Muslims and Christians worshiping the same God) that raised questions about her adherence to the university Statement of Faith. - Because here remarks were ambiguous, she was asked to come in for an interview to explain what she meant and to re-affirm her support for the Statement of Faith. - Apparently, the interview did not clarify the situation. She was provided a list of questions in writing asking her clarify her beliefs. At this time, according to the documented university investigation process, she was temporarily suspended with pay until such time as she provided satisfactory answers to the questions. That’s where it stood when I was on campus. According to my sources, she obtained both a lawyer and a media advisor, so the situation was beginning to turn adversarial, to everybody’s chagrin. It sounds like she has not convinced the trustees or the president (I’m not sure who makes the decision) of her orthodoxy. I’m not defending the university here, but I am saying that attributing it to her statement that Christians and Muslims worship the same God is a red herring, invented by the media. That’s not what got her into trouble according to the people I know at Wheaton. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/322 "2016-01-18T01:07:30Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I’m not defending the university here, but I am saying that attributing it to her statement that Christians and Muslims worship the same God is a red herring, invented by the media. That’s not what got her into trouble according to the people I know at Wheaton. Then the people you know at Wheaton are wrong; it was not invented by the media. “Yet her recently expressed views, including that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, appear to be in conflict with the College’s Statement of Faith.” [http://www.wheaton.edu/Media-Center/Media-Relations/Statements/Wheaton-College-Statement-Regarding-Dr-Hawkins](http://www.wheaton.edu/Media-Center/Media-Relations/Statements/Wheaton-College-Statement-Regarding-Dr-Hawkins) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/323 "2016-01-18T01:20:48Z")
Thanks, I hadn’t seen that part of the statement. My friends also said that the media department at the university and the trustees were not all on the same page, so that could explain the discrepancy. Apparently the initial statement announcing the suspension was drafted at the request of the media department before a final decision had been made; yet the media department went ahead and released it early. That’s how the professor learned of it. It was a screwed up situation from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/324 "2016-01-18T01:53:10Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Thanks, I hadn’t seen that part of the statement. > > My friends also said that the media department at the university and the trustees were not all on the same page, so that could explain the discrepancy. No, I think your friends are just wrong. That’s not a photo of a newspaper; it’s a web page, which can be edited at any time, and in fact has been updated several times. If the trustees wanted that part of the statement corrected, they would have it corrected. If by some strange chance they thought it was important to leave the original erroneous statement intact, they would add a correction. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/325 "2016-01-18T02:03:30Z")
Missed the edit window, but also note here: [http://www.wheaton.edu/Media-Center/Media-Relations/Statements/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Regarding-Dr-Larycia-Hawkins-Administrative-Leave-from-Wheaton-College](http://www.wheaton.edu/Media-Center/Media-Relations/Statements/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Regarding-Dr-Larycia-Hawkins-Administrative-Leave-from-Wheaton-College) where they not only reiterate the importance of the Muslim/Christian God issue, but they explicitly state that “College leadership has made the decision at this time to remove the updated FAQs posted here January 14.” So no, they don’t leave stuff there if they don’t want it there. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/326 "2016-02-07T17:53:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Wheaton College political science professor Larycia Hawkins has decided to part ways with the college just five days before a faculty hearing was scheduled to help decide her fate at the school, according to an email from president Philip Ryken to the campus on Saturday. > > “The Administration and Dr. Hawkins have come to a place of resolution and reconciliation,” Ryken said in his email. “With a mutual desire for God’s blessing, we have decided to part ways.” > > In a separate email to the faculty, Wheaton provost Stan Jones said in an email Saturday that he has withdrawn charges for firing Hawkins and asked Hawkins for forgiveness. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/02/06/wheaton-lifts-charges-against-professor-who-said-muslims-and-christians-worship-the-same-god/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/02/06/wheaton-lifts-charges-against-professor-who-said-muslims-and-christians-worship-the-same-god/) I wonder if she received a substantial severance agreement? Or perhaps a nice job offer at another college? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/327 "2016-02-07T18:13:41Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > They reiterated a couple of points: > > - the media reports, not having all the facts, made guesses or assumptions about the situation that are inaccurate. > - she was not suspended for claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same god. That belief falls within mainstream Christian thought, although it is not universally accepted. > - she was not suspended for wearing a hajib. Her wearing the hajib had absolutely nothing to do with the investigation whatsoever. Although some people at Wheaton were not thrilled with it, it was not against any rules and Wheaton respects freedom of expression within its Statement of Faith as agreed to by all faculty and staff. > > What was explained to me is that: > > - She made statements on Facebook (not about Muslims and Christians worshiping the same God) that raised questions about her adherence to the university Statement of Faith. > - Because here remarks were ambiguous, she was asked to come in for an interview to explain what she meant and to re-affirm her support for the Statement of Faith. > - Apparently, the interview did not clarify the situation. She was provided a list of questions in writing asking her clarify her beliefs. At this time, according to the documented university investigation process, she was temporarily suspended with pay until such time as she provided satisfactory answers to the questions. Or she was suspended for exactly the things in the first list and the second one is a cover story. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/328 "2016-02-11T02:28:03Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Because she is black and the issue brings in both women and Muslims, how to dismiss her is sensitive. The solution will be to offer her a settlement. She will accept that, and will leave quietly (which the settlement will require). > > The next big news on this will be that Wheaton and Dr Hawkins have reached an agreement, and that she has elected to resign her position. > > The Wheaton statement of faith will continue to require an explicit acceptance of the trinity, and the deity of Jesus Christ. That is simply not negotiable for them. Given her statement of faith and a pretty strong student/faculty/alumni support, I think she coulda hung on to her job. But it looks like hush money won the day after all, and [she will in fact go away quietly](http://www.wheaton.edu/Media-Center/Media-Relations/Statements/Joint-Statement-by-Wheaton-College-and-Dr-Larycia-Hawkins-Announcing-a-Resolution). _“Wheaton College and Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Larycia Hawkins announce they have come together and found a mutual place of resolution and reconciliation. The College and Dr. Hawkins have reached a confidential agreement under which they will part ways.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/329 "2016-03-05T10:07:00Z")
[From _Sojourners_](https://sojo.net/articles/former-wheaton-professor-larycia-hawkins-gets-new-post-uva): > [@](#): > > Larycia Hawkins, who left Wheaton College in the wake of controversy over her statement that Christians and Muslims worship one God, has a new gig: a fellowship named for a Muslim military hero. > > The University of Virginia announced March 3 that she will join its Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture as the “Abd el-Kader Visiting Faculty Fellow,” named for a 19th-century Algerian leader who was committed to intercultural dialogue. > > “Professor Hawkins brings keen insights into the intersections of religion and race and will greatly enrich our scholarship in this area,” said James Davison Hunter, executive director and founder of the institute, in an announcement. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/330 "2016-03-05T16:45:56Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > In any case it is very simple, if the Wheaton college has applied the same standard to the Jews, then they are simply very narrow minded but consistent in their theology. If they have not - it is suspected they have not - there is a gross hypocrisy and obvious non-theological reasoning going on. I think you have a point, but I would apply the exact same standard to Jews and Muslims. In partial agreement with the Marcionites, I don’t theink either the Jewish or Islamic deity is identical to the Trinitarian, Christian one. I don’t know if Wheaton agrees or not- probably not- but it wouldn’t be the first disagreement I have with evangelical theology. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/331 "2016-10-26T07:11:40Z")
[Here.](http://www.wheaton.edu/~/media/Files/Media%20Center/Statements/Trustee%20Review%20ReportFINAL4PM1025.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/332 "2016-10-26T14:00:37Z")
It’s… wait for it… a whitewashing. > [@](#): > > In spite of the significant missteps described in his apology, we affirm Provost Jones’ decades of outstanding service and long history of promoting racial and gender diversity at the College. “He totally fucked up, but he’s a nice man so whatever.” ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651/333 "2016-10-27T03:53:17Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > [Here.](http://www.wheaton.edu/~/media/Files/Media%20Center/Statements/Trustee%20Review%20ReportFINAL4PM1025.pdf) So basically, you can have academic freedom as long as you have (or at least express) ideas that fall within the confines of Wheaton College’s approved list. Sigh. Awfully free, that academic freedom. ETA [a bit of context that just came out a few days ago.](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/magazine/the-professor-wore-a-hijab-in-solidarity-then-lost-her-job.html?_r=1) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-at-christian-college-suspended-for-her-outspoken-support-of-muslims/740651.md?page=16)