October 23, 2007

Archbishop Tutu Calls for U. of St. Thomas to Reinstate Professor

Following an initial refusal to let Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at the University of St. Thomas, the Minnesota institution has now invited him. Archbishop Tutu said he will, but only if the college agrees to give a professor back her chairmanship.

University officials admitted to demoting Cris Toffolo, an associate professor of political science, from her position as chair of the institution’s program in justice and peace studies. They wouldn’t give details but said it had to do with the situation concerning Archbishop Tutu.

The Rev. Dennis J. Dease, president of the university, announced his recognition of the university’s mistake and a formal invitation to the Nobel peace laureate two weeks ago in a letter to students and members of the faculty and staff.

Meanwhile, faculty and staff members are rallying and gathering signatures for a petition to reinstate Ms. Toffolo to her administrative job, but the university seems to be holding firm, according to the Star Tribune. —Anna Weggel

Comments

1. What a sterling example of moral courage! Will Father Dease show the same courage and reinstate Toffolo whom he unjustly punished?

   — Steve    Oct 24, 08:46 AM    #

2. Tutu has no business making such a demand until he has purged himself of his anti-Israel position.

   — Gerard Vandeberg    Oct 24, 10:53 AM    #

3. It looks like people also missed Fr. Dease’s note to the UST community regarding the removal of Toffolo as chair. He stated that “she was not removed because of any private or public disagreement with [his] decision not to invite Archbishop Tutu to St. Thomas. She continues to teach in the program and remains a tenured associate professor of political science.” I have not seen a statement from Toffolo disputing this.

   — Brian    Oct 24, 10:54 AM    #

4. I find the anti-pro Israel issue terribly problematic in a profession that is supposed to honor the right of faculty to take legitimate positions. Since when does every American need to think the same way in order to be heard????? This is not the country I envision that my children will inherit.

   — Kimberly    Oct 24, 11:03 AM    #

5. @ Brian,

   Cris Toffolo sent an open letter to the UST community directly disputing Fr. Dease’s claim. The open letter stated:

   “Another correction which needs to be made concerns Fr Dease’s claim that ‘she [Cris] was not removed because of any private or public disagreement with my decision not to invite Archbishop Tutu to St. Thomas.’ This statement is disingenuous at best. The dismissal letter sent to her, along with the response she gave to the administration, both clearly show that the main issue involved was the question of the invitation to Archbishop Tutu and subsequent reactions. Cris is willing to make these letters available to be viewed by those who want to judge for themselves the reasons for her dismissal.”

   — Matthew    Oct 24, 11:27 AM    #

6. “People are scared in this country [the US], to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful – very powerful. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pinochet, Milosevic, and Idi Amin were all powerful, but in the end they bit the dust.”
   —Desmond Tutu

   — marci    Oct 24, 11:32 AM    #

7. We are not required to agree with the politics of any country. And it is long overdue to decouple concerns over Israel’s political decisions with anti-Semitism.

   — Rob    Oct 24, 11:45 AM    #

8. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has no business in interfering in the affairs of the university. He shouldn’t be allowed to visit with his condition of reinstating the professor.

   — Kan Chandras    Oct 25, 08:14 AM    #

9. It is a disgrace that American insitituions of higher learning are subservient to the Zionis/tpro-Israeli lobby

   — Dale    Oct 29, 04:45 PM    #

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