Posted on 05/17/2010 11:48:50 AM PDT by billorites
A British scientist has been disciplined for sexual harassment by his Irish university for showing a female colleague a research paper about fellatio in bats, triggering an outcry over academic freedom.
Leading scientists and academics including Steven Pinker and Daniel Dennett have rallied to support Dylan Evans, after University College, Cork placed him on probation for two years and ordered him to have counseling.
Supporters of Dr Evans said the university’s actions sent a dangerous message that areas of legitimate academic debate can be deemed off-limits if certain people find them offensive for personal reasons.
Professor Pinker, of Harvard University, described the sanctions as “absurd and shameful”. He said: “It runs counter to the principle of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech, to say nothing of common sense.”
Dr Evans was disciplined following a formal complaint from a colleague, to whom he had shown a peer-reviewed article from the journal Public Library of Science One entitled “Fellatio by fruit bats prolongs copulation time”.
He told The Times that he had given her the paper in the context of an ongoing discussion between them about the evolutionary origins of human and animal behaviour, and that it had been intended to prompt debate and not to cause offence.
The colleague, however, accused him of sexual harassment, alleging a pattern of inappropriate and disturbing behaviour including kissing her on both cheeks and complimenting her appearance.
While an investigation cleared Dr Evans of sexual harassment prior to his showing her the bat fellatio paper, it found that this incident amounted to a joke with sexual innuendo, though it accepted he had not intended to offend.
Professor Michael Murphy, UCC president, declared that the complaint of sexual harassment had been upheld, and punished Dr Evans by imposing a two-year period of “monitoring and appraisal” ...
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
It seems like the whole world is upside down ...
what makes you think henry isnt a friend of mine, eh?
yeah, how can you even have contact if you are each in your own tub? and whats so sexy about that anyway?
Albion:
I know sayre. Sayre is a friend of mine. You are no Sayre.
Your Pal,
beebuster2000
I wonder if Bill Clinton is familiar with this study.
In much of Europe, Central/South America, adn in much of the realm of the “academented”, a socially accepted greeting is a kiss on both cheeks, or an approximation thereof.
The kiss may be rendered as the Austrian “handkuss”, which is to say, think ‘air guitar’.
A scientific article about bat sex is cause for severe academic punishment?
BAT SH*T ! ! ! !
Ummm... Exactly which cheeks are we talking about here?
Touché!
Oh no. More stereotypes about bats “sucking.” Just what they need with all those vampire stereotypes.
Nor have I attempted to “be” anything. Your comment was wacky.
yes, it was wacky, but at the time i thought it was pretty funny. at least i amused myself.
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