Sunday, August 11, 2024
Conservative Christian Colleges Are Facing Cancel Culture Problems
Newsweek, Conservative Campuses Are Facing Cancel Culture Problems:
An increasing number of academics are speaking out about Christian colleges, claiming they were forced out of their jobs because of the rising intensity of conservative politics on campuses.
Cancel culture, in which an individual perceived to have acted in an unacceptable manner is ostracized, typically refers to those who have violated liberal norms. But a number of professors are now speaking out, claiming they were canceled for being perceived as too liberal, even if they didn't identify as such.
"What gets faculty members in trouble now isn't purely a theological disagreement, but it is coming down on the wrong side of a culture wars issue," Kristin Kobes Du Mez, professor of history at Calvin University in Michigan who spoke broadly on the issue, told Newsweek via telephone.
On July 29, a lawsuit was filed against Liberty University by Ellenor Zinski, a former employee of the university, seeking $300,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. Zinski claimed in the suit that she was fired after she revealed she was transgender and intended to change her name. Newsweek reached out to Liberty and Zinski's legal team via email for comment on Friday.
Over the course of a few months, Newsweek spoke to several other academics who shared their stories of being let go from Christian universities.
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