In the end, Marquette University's decision not to hire Seattle University instructor, Jodi O'Brien, last week was a good thing, but only because SU is the better for it.
But for Marquette to withdrawl O'Brien's name from the short list for dean for the college of arts and sciences because of a fear of losing donor support, is a step in the wrong direction. O'Brien had been offered the position and had accepted it, but Marquette's president, the Rev. Robert Wild, recinded the offer. Student protests rightfully followed outside the university's Alumni Memorial Union building.
The unspoken conflict is that O'Brien is a lesbian and has published works on gender and sexual orientation. Both Marquette and SU are Jesuit schools and both have gay and lesbian faculty. Why O'Brien's name was recinded under the guise that she wasn't a good fit for the school, is a mystery. Marquette's mission is the search for truth, the discovery and sharing of knowledge. It dropped the ball in dismissing O'Brien.[[In-content Ad]]
