Posted on 12/07/2004 12:37:12 PM PST by RonF
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University student has been suspended from his job as a physics department assistant and may lose the job after objecting to Purdue's United Way campaign because the charity supports anti-gay groups such as the Boy Scouts.
Mike Sloothaak was placed on administrative suspension without pay Nov. 19 after protesting United Way solicitations from the Northwest Indiana university's president and Andrew Hirsch, head of the school's physics department.
Those solicitations included an email from the physics department in October that listed all physics graduate students and staff who hadn't returned their United Way pledge forms. The email was sent to everyone on the list and Sloothaak replied to the entire list, detailing his reasons for not contributing to the charity, principally that it supports groups such as the Boy Scouts, which bars gays.
"I respond every year," Sloothaak said. "I've never contributed and I always protest."
Sloothaak said he was given a vague warning about using "university resources" to protest, after which he copied about a dozen flyers objecting to the United Way and put them in his supervisor's mailbox. An hour later, Sloothaak said, he was suspended.
Sloothaak said Purdue officials use university resources such as email to solicit for the United Way, so he should be able to use those same methods to criticize the charity. He said a supervisor in the physics department told him, "Supporting the United Way is university business but criticizing it is not."
Sloothaak said, "It's just coercion. It's a state institution and I think it's wrong."
University spokesman Joe Bennett said he couldn't comment specifically on Sloothaak's case because it involves personnel issues but said Purdue has clearly defined policies on use of the school's email system.
Bennett also noted the school prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and prohibits intimidation, interference or reprisals against students and staff who file complaints alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Sloothaak's employment status is scheduled to be resolved by Dec. 3, according to memos he's received from his supervisor. [12/7/04]
I think Purdue and the local UW have the right handle on contributing to the BSA. But this guy has the same point that many objectors here to the UW have; he was pressured to contribute, he protested, and got fired. Seems to me that's wrong.
This guy will win millions. Purdue was kinda stupid here. Unless, we're not hearing the whole story here (which is 99% certain).
I think he got fired for filling his boss's mailbox up with protest flyers.
Doesn't the United Way support queer groups in its listing of participating organizations that get distributions from being on this list?
And I won't contribute because they support planned parenthood. No one's pressuring me though.
I hate the United Way, it's like a cult. I don't need a middleman to give out my charity dollars anyway.
I think the school is in the wrong for pressuring folks to contribute. And I would protest, too, though I would probably not cc everyone about it.
This is odd since most United Ways purposely exclude giving to the BSA precisely because the BSA "excludes" homosexuals. I did some searches on UW since a friend was in a similar situation (practially forced to donate time and money to UW by the company he worked for). Many UWs donate heavliy to outrageous "gay and lesbian and transgendered etc" causes.
This story is odd. Are local United Ways that different?
Purdue is wrong. He has every right to state that he will not support the UW because their local council supports their local scouts (as I assume is the case); just as I or anyone else has the right to say we will not support our local UW if they do not support scouts.
I stopped giving to the United Way about 10 years ago. Before that, I was afraid not to give because of the intracompany pressure to give, and the fact that they keep track of the giving, at least insofar as reporting whether everyone gave SOMETHING. They wanted 100% participation, so I always gave $50 or thereabouts. At some point, I just got to a point where I said, "I'm not going to let my employer tell me who to give my charitable contributions to."
I'm still working for the company.
This is probably what started the whole thing. The guy got ticked off because his name was listed in an e-mail. 'Protesting' the UW collections because of the Boy Scouts was just the most PC thing he could think of to latch on to.
Dude, be careful. You're apt to start a fire when you type and leave your crack pipe unattended! : )
Actually, local ones can be very different. Many of the local UWs list their givings on their website. My local one has a list of their total funds allocation for 2003 online. Included was over $50K for two local BSA troops.
I think the United Way in each county pretty much gets to decide who they will give to within certain guidelines.
The one where I live gives money to the Boy Scouts but stopped giving money to Planned Parenthood.
I keep close tabs on what my local UW gives to. If they ever tick me off, I'll just give my money directly to organizations I choose.
Tell 'em how YOU see this:
President Martin Jischke: mcjischke@purdue.edu
Andrew Hirsch: http://www.physics.purdue.edu/people/faculty/hirsch.shtml
I always get bad looks from HR when I tell them no to contributions.
Check again. I don't think there is that much discretion.
Plus, it's all an extortion racket: The boss's wife's social status depends on the contributions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.