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University of Iowa Professor Tells College Republicans to “F” Off
The Iowa Republican ^ | 04/20/11 | Craig Robinson

Posted on 04/20/2011 9:43:29 AM PDT by MockTurtle

A University of Iowa professor felt the need to reply to a blast email by the College Republicans on Monday morning. Ellen Lewin, a professor of Anthropology and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies in the Department of Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies, sent a vulgar response to a College Republican email about the group’s, “Conservative Coming Out Week.”

The College Republican email, which was sent to the entire University of Iowa Community, had been approved by a number of university officials before being sent out.

Lewin responded to email by writing, “#*@% [F-Word] YOU, REPUBLICANS” from her official university email account.

Natalie Ginty, a University of Iowa Student and Chairwoman of the Iowa Federation of College Republicans, demanded an apology from Lewin’s supervisors. “We understand that as a faculty member she has the right to express her political opinion, but by leaving her credentials at the bottom of the email she was representing the University of Iowa, not herself alone,” Ginty wrote to James Enloe, the head of the Department of Anthropology.

“Vile responses like Ellen’s need to end. Demonizing the other party through name-calling only further entrenches feelings of disdain for the other side. I am sure you understand that nothing is ever accomplished by aimless screams of attack,” Ginty concluded.

In an email to the College Republicans, Professor Lewin wrote, “This is a time when political passions are inflamed, and when I received your unsolicited email, I had just finished reading some newspaper accounts of fresh outrages committed by Republicans in government. I admit the language was inappropriate, and apologize for any affront to anyone’s delicate sensibilities. I would really appreciate your not sending blanket emails to everyone on campus, especially in these difficult times.”

Lewin sent that email at 10:51 a.m.

Lewin’s response is as inappropriate than her choice of language in her first email. At the bottom of the original mass email, a University of Iowa disclaimer reads, “Distribution of this message was approved by the VP for Student Services. Neither your name nor e-mail address was released to the sender. The policy and guidelines for the UI Mass Mail service, including information on how to filter messages, are available at: http://cs.its.uiowa.edu/email/massmail.” The College Republicans didn’t even know who all would be receiving the message.

At 11:06 a.m. on Tuesday, Professor Lewin sent another email saying:

I should note that several things in the original message were extremely offensive, nearly rising to the level of obscenity. Despite the Republicans’ general disdain for LGBT rights you called your upcoming event “conservative coming out day,” appropriating the language of the LGBT right movement. Your reference to the Wisconsin protests suggested that they were frivolous attempts to avoid work. And the “Animal Rights BBQ” is extremely insensitive to those who consider animal rights an important cause. Then, in the email that Ms. Ginty sent complaining about my language, she referred to me as Ellen, not Professor Lewin, which is the correct way for a student to address a faculty member, or indeed, for anyone to refer to an adult with whom they are not acquainted. I do apologize for my intemperate language, but the message you all sent out was extremely disturbing and offensive.

It’s strange that Professor Lewin is upset with a student for calling her by her first name AFTER she told them to “$%@& [F Word] OFF.” Quite honestly, Lewin’s continued attacks make it seem like more serious punishment of the professor is called for rather just than the public apology that the College Republicans are demanding.

Professor Tim Hagel, the faculty advisor for the University of Iowa College Republicans, also interjected on behalf of the group.

The issue isn’t whether you found something in the message sent by the College Republicans to have been offensive, but how you chose to express yourself. Although some would disagree with the reasons in the message immediately below, there would have been a more appropriate way for you to have expressed yourself. Your initial apology, though qualified, was at least a step in the right direction. The “additional note” only served to retract the apology and was an apparent attempt to justify your initial response.

It’s not my place at this point to debate the merits of whether the CR message was offense, but let me remind you that they have First Amendment rights as much as you do and that their message was approved for mass distribution by the VP for Student Services, as was indicated at the bottom of the original message.

Let me also note that I found your complaint about Ms. Ginty’s use of your first name to be rather ironic. As much as I agree with you that it would have been better for her to have shown the respect for your position by referring to you as “Professor,” respect is a two way street and you clearly did not show respect for the College Republicans in your initial response.

-TH

Tim Hagle

Associate Professor

UICR Faculty Advisor

Update :University of Iowa President Sally Mason has responded to the incident by sending out a blast email. Mason’s response was “spurred” by TheIowaRepublican.com’s story about the incident.

Dear Members of the University Community:

The University of Iowa encourages freedom of expression, opposing viewpoints, and civil debate about those opposing viewpoints. This is clearly articulated in our core values of Diversity and Respect. Because diversity, broadly defined, advances its mission of teaching, research, and service, the University is dedicated to an inclusive community in which people of different cultural, national, individual, and academic backgrounds encounter one another in a spirit of cooperation, openness, and shared appreciation.

The University also strongly encourages student engagement in such discussions and supports students acting on their viewpoints. Student organizations are sometimes formed along political lines and act on their political beliefs. Even if we personally disagree with those viewpoints, we must be respectful of those viewpoints in every way. Intolerant and disrespectful discord is not acceptable behavior.

Sally Mason President


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Front Page News; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: academia; civility; college; democrats; diversitarian; ellenlewin; homosexualagenda; iowa; leftspew; lesbian; liberalfascism; liberals; progressives; tolerantleft; vagitarian
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To: mdel747

Boht a Tumb en heet, wot!

:)


221 posted on 04/20/2011 2:53:29 PM PDT by MindBender26 (While the MSM slept.... we have become relevant media in America.)
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To: MockTurtle

sounds like a real classy broad


222 posted on 04/20/2011 2:55:22 PM PDT by linn37
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To: hattend

Don’t overlook the waste of oxygen as well.


223 posted on 04/20/2011 3:23:13 PM PDT by Postman
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To: y6162
Nice self portrait on the wall behind her.
224 posted on 04/20/2011 3:27:37 PM PDT by Shqipo (I am the unofficial originator of the Mega-Bump! Only use judiciously.)
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To: kelly4c

Someone, please post the women of the left vs, the women of the right. Please don’t forget S.E. Cupp.


225 posted on 04/20/2011 4:01:23 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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Help! Someone needs to cleanse this thread!


226 posted on 04/20/2011 4:02:17 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Jeff Chandler
Dang.

Down.

Right.

Nasty.

Soul-less shell.

227 posted on 04/20/2011 4:02:27 PM PDT by Gabrial (The Whitehouse Nightmare will continue as long as the Nightmare is in the Whitehouse)
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To: kelly4c; y6162

Lookie here. A noob scolding you.


228 posted on 04/20/2011 4:03:51 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Thunder90

Late, I sent it to her troll patroll. GMTA

No wonder Vicki has pit bulls. She’s fabulous!


229 posted on 04/20/2011 4:06:42 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: NeverEVERKerry
Dang, if I was rated a 2.7 overall, I would be fired from my job.

This is the state of our colleges?

230 posted on 04/20/2011 4:09:18 PM PDT by Gabrial (The Whitehouse Nightmare will continue as long as the Nightmare is in the Whitehouse)
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To: kelly4c

Yo, moron, notice I said ‘soulless’ - has little to do with her physical appearance and everything to do with the sour liberal points of view that infest her brain.


231 posted on 04/20/2011 4:55:54 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: Indy Pendance

“lookie here. A noob scolding you.”

I like to post pics of the subject..what can I say? All I said is she had a potty mouth


232 posted on 04/20/2011 4:58:48 PM PDT by y6162
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To: kelly4c
Not all of the female gender has delicate little barbie doll-like faces you know

This female has the kind of face that only comes from overexposure to liberal dogma.

233 posted on 04/20/2011 5:00:07 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: y6162

I was called a troll the other day by a noob. LOL. We’ve been through the fight before the fight was popular.


234 posted on 04/20/2011 5:03:18 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Joe 6-pack

I, too, would be angry all the time if I had to go through life looking like her.


235 posted on 04/20/2011 5:04:32 PM PDT by hattend (How much do you have to invest in the future before you've spent it and no longer have one? - Steyn)
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To: AppyPappy
"professor of Anthropology and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies in the Department of Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies”

So she is a professor of A.G.W. & S.S. who woulda guessed by her lovely picture?

236 posted on 04/20/2011 5:24:28 PM PDT by sniper63 (Endeavor to persevere, then go to war with 'em.....)
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To: MockTurtle

If the *kof-kof* woman wants to be treated with respect, she needs to be worthy of it. I’d call her by her first name in a heart beat. She’s no better than I am, and I KNOW she puts her panties on the same way I do. (IF she wears any...)

She needs to be dismissed.


237 posted on 04/20/2011 5:30:49 PM PDT by Monkey Face ("...By small and simple things are great things brought to pass...." Alma 37:6)
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To: clintonh8r

She makes a wart hog look beautiful.


238 posted on 04/20/2011 6:06:06 PM PDT by RipSawyer (Trying to reason with a liberal is like teaching algebra to a tomcat.)
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To: MockTurtle
"Women’s & Sexuality Studies in the Department of Gender"

This is what we get when we allow the creation of phony departments with worthless degrees and let people who plant their asses there for decades become tenured professors of nothing, then pay them to use our money to advance their political agenda.

239 posted on 04/20/2011 6:25:46 PM PDT by Baynative (Truth is treason in an empire of lies)
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To: y6162

..figures "women studies"..looks like a photo of her when she was much younger in the background

240 posted on 04/20/2011 6:38:02 PM PDT by Doogle ((USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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